# len
## Czech
### Etymology

Inherited from Old Czech len, from Proto-Slavic *lьnъ from Proto-Indo-European *lino-.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: [ˈlɛn]
* This entry needs an audio pronunciation. If you are a native speaker with a microphone, please record this word. The recorded pronunciation will appear here when it's ready.
* Hyphenation: len
* Rhymes: -ɛn

### Noun

len m inan
* flax (any plant of the genus Linum)
* flax (fibers)

#### Derived terms

* línový
* lněný
* leníček
* línek

### References

* ↑ Václav Machek (1968) Etymologický slovník jazyka českého [Etymological Dictionary of the Czech Language], 2nd edition, Prague: Academia
* ↑ Jiří Rejzek (2007) “len”, in Český etymologický slovník (in Czech), Leda

### Further reading

* “len”, in Příruční slovník jazyka českého (in Czech), 1935–1957
* “len”, in Slovník spisovného jazyka českého (in Czech), 1960–1971, 1989
* “len”, in Internetová jazyková příručka (in Czech), 2008–2025

## Danish
### Etymology

From Middle Low German lēn, from Old Saxon lēhan, from Proto-West Germanic *laihn, from Proto-Germanic *laihną (“loan”), cognate with German Lehn (Swedish län is a loan from Low German). Doublet of lån.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: [ˈleˀn]

### Noun

len n (singular definite lenet, plural indefinite len)
* (historical) fief (a land given by a sovereign to a vassal in exchange for military services, especially in the Middle Ages)
* (historical) entailed estate (a property given by the king to a person with specific rules of inheritance, in Denmark 1691-1919)
* (historical) county (a regional and administrative unit, in Denmark until 1662; also used with reference to the län of modern Sweden and Finland)
    Synonyms: amt, region, syssel

#### Derived terms

* lensbaron
* lensgreve
* lensherre
* lensmand
* lensvæsen

### References

* “len” in Den Danske Ordbog

## Friulian
### Etymology

From Latin lignum. Compare Ladin lën, Romansch len, lenn, lain.

### Noun

len m (plural lens)
* wood

#### Related terms

* legnôs

## Galician
### Verb

len
* third-person plural present indicative of ler

## Hungarian
### Etymology

Borrowed from a Slavic language, from Proto-Slavic *lьnъ.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: [ˈlɛn]
* Audio:(file)
* Hyphenation: len
* Rhymes: -ɛn

### Noun

len (plural lenek)
* flax

#### Derived terms

* lenvászon

### References

* ↑ len in Zaicz, Gábor (ed.). Etimológiai szótár: Magyar szavak és toldalékok eredete (‘Dictionary of Etymology: The origin of Hungarian words and affixes’). Budapest: Tinta Könyvkiadó, 2006, →ISBN. (See also its 2nd edition.)

### Further reading

* len in Bárczi, Géza and László Országh. A magyar nyelv értelmező szótára (“The Explanatory Dictionary of the Hungarian Language”, abbr.: ÉrtSz.). Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó, 1959–1962. Fifth ed., 1992: →ISBN

## Irish
### Preposition

len
* (dialectal) Alternative form of le

#### Usage notes

This form is found only before bhur (“your pl”) and is not part of the standard written language. In older texts, len bhur may also be spelled le nbhur.

## Norwegian Bokmål
### Verb

len
* imperative of lene

## Old Czech
### Alternative forms

* ľen (alternative writing)

### Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Slavic *lьnъ, from Proto-Indo-European *lino-.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: (13th CE) /ˈlɛn/
* IPA: (15th CE) /ˈlɛn/

### Noun

len m inan
* flax

#### Descendants

* Czech: len

### Further reading

* Jan Gebauer (1903–1916) “len”, in Slovník staročeský (in Czech), Prague: Česká grafická společnost "unie", Česká akademie císaře Františka Josefa pro vědy, slovesnost a umění

## Polish
### Alternative forms

* lan (Near Masovian)

### Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Slavic *lьnъ. Doublet of lina.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ˈlɛn/
* Audio:(file)
* Rhymes: -ɛn
* Syllabification: len

### Noun

len m inan (related adjective lniany)
* flax (any plant of the genus Linum)
* linen (thread or cloth made from flax fibre)
    Synonym: płótno

#### Declension
### Further reading

* len in Wielki słownik języka polskiego, Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN
* len in Polish dictionaries at PWN

## Romani
### Noun

len m
* river

## Romansch
### Alternative forms

* lain (Rumantsch Grischun, Puter, Vallader)
* lenn (Sursilvan, Surmiran)

### Etymology

From Latin lignum. Compare Ladin lën, Friulian len.

### Noun

len m
* (Sutsilvan) wood

## Serbo-Croatian
### Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Slavic *lěnъ.

### Adjective

lȇn (Cyrillic spelling ле̑н, definite lȇnī, comparative lȅnjī)
* Alternative form of lijen (“lazy”).

## Slovak
### Pronunciation

* IPA: [ʎen]

### Adverb

len
* only, just

### Further reading

* “len”, in Slovníkový portál Jazykovedného ústavu Ľ. Štúra SAV [Dictionary portal of the Ľ. Štúr Institute of Linguistics, Slovak Academy of Science] (in Slovak), https://slovnik.juls.savba.sk, 2003–2025

## Slovene
### Etymology

From Proto-Slavic *lěnъ.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /léːn/, /lɛ́n/

### Adjective

lẹ̑n or lȅn (comparative bȍlj lẹ̑n, superlative nȁjbolj lẹ̑n)
* lazy

#### Inflection

This adjective needs an inflection-table template.

#### Derived terms

* prelén

### Further reading

* “len”, in Slovarji Inštituta za slovenski jezik Frana Ramovša ZRC SAZU, portal Fran
* “len”, in Termania, Amebis
* See also the general references

## Spanish
### Noun

len m (plural lenes)
* The Chilean incense cedar, Austrocedrus chilensis

## Swedish
### Etymology 1

From Old Norse linr, from Proto-Germanic *linwaz.

#### Adjective

len (comparative lenare, superlative lenast)
* smooth and soft
    lena kindersmooth cheeks
* (by extension) smooth (of taste and the like)

##### Usage notes

Focuses on the (pleasant) sensation when dragging one's fingers (or another body part) across something smooth and soft. Smooth and soft to the touch.

##### Declension

$^1$ The indefinite superlative forms are only used in the predicative. $^2$ Dated or archaic. $^3$ Only used, optionally, to refer to things whose natural gender is masculine.

##### Derived terms

* Lena Handén
* honungslen (“honeyed”)
* len i munnen
* len som en barnrumpa (“smooth as a baby's bottom”)
* len som en persika (“smooth as a peach”)
* len som honung (“smooth as butter”) (literally, "smooth as honey")
* silkeslen (“silky, silky smooth”)

##### See also

* slät (“smooth (whether hard or soft)”)

### Etymology 2

From Turkish lan.

#### Noun

len
* (slang) friend, buddy, pal (friendly term of address)
    Vad händer, len?What's going on, buddy?

### References

* len in Svensk ordbok (SO)
* len in Svenska Akademiens ordbok (SAOB)
* Slangopedia

## Vietnamese
### Pronunciation

* (Hà Nội) IPA: [lɛn˧˧]
* (Huế) IPA: [lɛŋ˧˧]
* (Saigon) IPA: [lɛŋ˧˧]

### Etymology 1

From French laine.

#### Noun

len
* wool
* yarn

### Etymology 2

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

#### Verb

len • (踚, 蹥, 𨈆)
* to negotiate one's way through a mass, to creep through

##### Derived terms

* len lỏi

## Volapük
### Preposition

len
* at, by, on

## Welsh
### Noun

len
* Soft mutation of llen.

### Mutation

Note: Certain mutated forms of some words can never occur in standard Welsh. All possible mutated forms are displayed for convenience.