leja

Latvian

Alternative forms

• (dated, 19th-century form) leija

Etymology

From earlier (19th-century) leija, from Proto-Baltic *ley-ya-, from *ley-ā, from Proto-Indo-European *l̥-ey, from the zero grade of *el-, *Heh₃l- (“to bend, to incline”) (whence also elkonis (“elbow”), q.v.) with a suffix -ey. The meaning probably evolved as follows: “bent inward” > “inwardly bent earth”, “valley” > “lower area.” Cognates include Gothic 𐌿𐌽𐌳𐌰𐍂𐌻𐌴𐌹𐌾𐌰 (undarleija, “lower, smaller”), Ancient Greek λειμών (leimṓn, “humid, grassy place, humid meadow”) (lower places are often humid).

Pronunciation

Noun

leja f (4th declension)

1. low area, low place, below (place located below, with respect to something else)

   pa leju mājai garām šaujas motociklets ― a motorcycle ran by in the low area along the house

   Lība palika stāvam un ostīja gaisu: kaut kur no lejas uzvēdīja svešāada smarša ― Lība remained standing and sniffed the air: somewhere from below a strange smell was spreading

2. (in genitive, used adjectivally) lower side, lower part, bottom (of something)

   lejas stāvs ― the lower (i.e., first) floor

   te bija lejas aula baznīca ar zaļo skārda jumtu ― here was the lower village church with a green tin roof

   tumšajā lejas gaitenī klusēdami izklīst skolēnu pulciņi ― the small groups of studnets silently dispersed in the dark lower corridor

3. (in locative, used adverbially) down, below, at the bottom, in a lower area (of some place)

   lejā pagalmā spēlējās bērni ― down in the yard the children were playing

   izgāju pat uz balkona; dzīli lejā zem manis slīdēja automašīnas un trolejbusi ― I went out on the balcony; deep down under me cars and trolleys slid by

   un tad tepat lejā pie Varžupīte tie karkli ― and then right here (they are), down by the Varžupīte (river), these willows

   tieši zem nišas bija divi galdiņi; nišā varēja dzirdēt katru vārdu, ko tie tur lejā runāja ― right under the niche there were two little tables; in the niche it was possible to hear every word which they said down there

4. (geography) valley

   upes, strauta leja ― river, creek valley

   dziļa leja ― deep valley

   krūmiem aizaugusi leja ― a valley overgrown with bushes

   lejas nogāze ― valley slope

   starp diviem kalniem vēsā lejā / svēts, vientuļš klosteris glabājās ― in a cool valley between two mountains / a holy, lonely monastery kept itself

5. depression in an area or terrain

   miklajā ganību lejā nāca melnakšņu un kārklu krūmi ― in the humid pasture depression there were (lit. came) alder and willow bushes

6. (of rivers; usually with uz, no) mouth, estuary

   no lejas brauc tvaikonis ― from the river mouth came a steamboat

   straume laivu nesa uz leju ― the stream took the boat downstream, to(ward) the estuary

   jo tālāk ejam mēs uz leju, jo vairāk straume izšķir mūs ― the further we go downstream, the more the stream separated us

7. (with uz) down, downward, toward the earth (also metaphorically)

   skatīties uz leju ― to look down

   ceļš ved uz leju ― the path leads down

   Ģirts gāja pa kāpnēm uz leju ― Ģirts walked down the stairs

   svaru kauss sveras uz leju ― the heavy cup weighs down

   Mācītājam Silingam ar veselību ejot uz leju ― Pastor Siling's health, they say, is going down

Declension

Synonyms

• (of "below", "down"): lejā
• (of "lower part"): apakša
• (of "valley"): ieleja
• (of "estuary"): lejtece
• (of "downward"): uz leju, lejup, zemup (rare)

Antonyms

• (antonym(s) of “of "lower part"”): augša
• (antonym(s) of “of "down"”): augšā
• (antonym(s) of “of "downward"”): uz augšu, augšup, sauļup (poetic)

Derived terms

• ieleja
• lejā
• lejtece
• lejup

References

Livonian

Alternative forms

• (Courland) lejā

Etymology

From Proto-Finnic *liha.

Noun

leja

1. flesh

Polish

Polish Wikipedia has an article on:

leja

Wikipedia ^pl

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈlɛ.ja/
• Rhymes: -ɛja
• Syllabification: le‧ja

Etymology 1

Borrowed from Romanian leu, from Latin leō, from Ancient Greek λέων (léōn).

Noun

leja f

1. Alternative form of lej

Declension

Etymology 2

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Noun

leja m inan

1. genitive singular of lej

Further reading

• leja in Wielki słownik języka polskiego, Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN
• leja in Polish dictionaries at PWN

Serbo-Croatian

Alternative forms

• lijèha (Ijekavian)
• líha (Ikavian)
• léha (Ekavian)

Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Slavic *lě̄xà, from Proto-Balto-Slavic *láišāˀ, from Proto-Indo-European *lóyseh₂, from *leys-.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /lěːja/

Noun

léja f (Cyrillic spelling ле́ја)

1. plot of land for sowing, a partition of agriculturally or horticulturally used earth, farming bed
   • 2015 June 15, “Planiranje vrta [Garden planning]”, in Bio-Vrt‎:

     Za proizvodnju ranih proljetnih vrsta salate, kao i za snabdjevanje vrta svojim sadnicama, može se napraviti pokrivena topla leja.

     To produce early spring types of salad, as also for provision of the garden with seedlings, one can create a covered warm bed.

Declension

References

• “ле́ја”, in Речник српскохрватскога књижевног језика (in Serbo-Croatian), Друго фототипско издање edition, volume 3, Нови Сад, Загреб: Матица српска, Матица хрватска, 1969, published 1990, page 182
• “ле́ха”, in Речник српскохрватскога књижевног језика (in Serbo-Croatian), Друго фототипско издање edition, volume 3, Нови Сад, Загреб: Матица српска, Матица хрватска, 1969, published 1990, page 199

Swahili

Etymology

Borrowed from English ledger.

Pronunciation

• Audio (Kenya)

  (file)

Noun

leja (n class, plural leja)

1. ledger (a collection of accounting entries consisting of credits and debits)

Swedish

Etymology

From Old Swedish leghia, from Old Norse leiga, from Proto-Germanic *laigijaną (“to lend”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /lɛja/
• Rhymes: -ɛja

Verb

leja (present lejer, preterite lejde, supine lejt, imperative lej)

1. to hire (on a temporary basis)

   leja en torped

   hire a hitman

Usage notes

Often of illegal or questionable tasks.

Conjugation

Derived terms

• leja ut (“contract out”)

Related terms

• lega

See also

• anlita
• torped

References

• leja in Svenska Akademiens ordlista (SAOL)
• leja in Svensk ordbok (SO)
• leja in Svenska Akademiens ordbok (SAOB)
• leja in Elof Hellquist, Svensk etymologisk ordbok (1st ed., 1922)