leah

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /læ͜ɑːx/

Etymology 1

From Proto-West Germanic *lauh, from Proto-Germanic *lauhaz, from Proto-Indo-European *lówkos (“clearing”), derived from *lewk- (“bright”).

The use of the word meaning "meadow" is a later development of the word, possibly aided by confusion between lēas (plural of the original meaning of lēah) with lǣs.

Etymology 2

From Proto-West Germanic *laugu.

References

• Mills, David (1976) “Directory of Place Names”, in The Place Names of Lancashire, London: Batsford Books, →ISBN

Etymology

Borrowed from Ukrainian лях (ljax), from Old Ruthenian лѧхъ (ljax), from Old East Slavic лѧхъ (lęxŭ), from Proto-Slavic *lęxъ, from Proto-Slavic *lęděninъ (“dweller of wasteland”).

Noun

leah m (plural leși)

1. (dated) Pole, Polack

Further reading

• “leah”, in DEX online—Dicționare ale limbii române (Dictionaries of the Romanian language) (in Romanian), 2004–2025