# 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

* Audio:(file)

### Noun

leja f (4th declension)
* 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
* (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
* (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
* (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
* 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
* (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
* (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

#### 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

* ↑ Karulis, Konstantīns (1992) “leja”, in Latviešu Etimoloģijas Vārdnīca‎ (in Latvian), Rīga: AVOTS, →ISBN

## Livonian
### Alternative forms

* (Courland) lejā

### Etymology

From Proto-Finnic *liha.

### Noun

leja
* flesh

## Polish
### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ˈlɛ.ja/
* (Greater Poland):
** (Central Greater Poland) IPA: /ˈlɛ.ja/
* Rhymes: -ɛja
* Syllabification: le‧ja
* Homophone: Leja

### Etymology 1

See lej.

#### Noun

leja f
* Alternative form of lej

##### Declension
### Etymology 2

Deverbal from lać.

#### Noun

leja f
* (Central Greater Poland) torrential downpour (heavy rain)

##### Alternative forms

* lija (Central Greater Poland)

### Etymology 3

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

#### Noun

leja m inan
* genitive singular of lej

### Further reading

* leja in Wielki słownik języka polskiego, Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN
* leja in Polish dictionaries at PWN
* Oskar Kolberg (1877) “leja”, in “Rzecz o mowie ludu wielkopolskiego”, in Zbiór wiadomości do antropologii krajowéj (in Polish), volume 1, III (Materyjały etnologiczne), page 20

## 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: /lěːja/

### Noun

léja f (Cyrillic spelling ле́ја)
* 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)
* 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: /lɛja/
* Rhymes: -ɛja

### Verb

leja (present lejer, preterite lejde, supine lejt, imperative lej)
* to hire (on a temporary basis)
    leja en torpedhire a hitman

#### Usage notes

Often of illegal or questionable tasks.

#### 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)