leið

Faroese

Etymology

From Old Norse leið, from Proto-Germanic *laidō, from Proto-Indo-European *leyt- (“to go, go forth, die”), from Proto-Indo-European *ley- (“to be slippery, glide, streak”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /laiːj/

Noun

leið f (genitive singular leiðar, plural leiðir)

1. way, road, course, track
2. route (of a bus, ferry, etc.)

Declension

Synonyms

• (course): vegur, farleið, kós

Icelandic

Etymology 1

From Old Norse leið, from Proto-Germanic *laidō.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /leiːð/
• Rhymes: -eiːð

Noun

leið f (genitive singular leiðar, nominative plural leiðir)

1. route, way, course
   • Á Sprengisandi (“On Sprengisandur”) by Grímur Thomsen

     Ríðum, ríðum, rekum yfir sandinn,

     rökkrið er að síða á Herðubreið,

     álfadrottning er að beizla gandinn,

     ekki er gott að verða á hennar leið;

     vænsta klárinn vildi eg gefa til

     að vera kominn ofan í Kiðagil.

     Ride, ride, ride hard across the sands,

     darkness settles over Herðubreið.

     The Queen of the elves bridles her steed -

     be careful not to cross her path.

     My best horse I'd sacrifice

     to be safely back in Kiðagil.

2. method, means

Declension

Synonyms

• (route, way): vegur, braut, slóð
• (method): aðferð f, meðal n (archaic)

Derived terms

• hjáleið
• brjóta sér leið
• ryðja sér leið
• um leið

Etymology 2

Verb

leið

1. first/third-person singular past indicative active of líða

Old Norse

Etymology

From Proto-Germanic *laidō.

Noun

leið f

1. a way
2. a way, a road
3. (nautical) a course
4. (military) a levy
5. a local assembly (in the Icelandic Commonwealth)

Declension

Descendants

• Icelandic: leið
• Faroese: leið
• Norwegian Nynorsk: leid, lei
• Norwegian Bokmål: lei
• Old Swedish: lēþ
  • Swedish: led
• Danish: led
  • Norwegian Bokmål: led

References

• leið in A Concise Dictionary of Old Icelandic, G. T. Zoëga, Clarendon Press, 1910, at Internet Archive.