leigh

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See also: Leigh, léigh, and lèigh

English

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Alternative forms

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Etymology

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From Middle English legh, lege, lei (clearing, open ground) from Old English lēah (clearing in a forest) from Proto-Germanic *lauhaz (meadow), from Proto-Indo-European *lówkos (field, meadow). Akin to Old Frisian lāch (meadow), Old Saxon lōh (forest, grove) (Middle Dutch loo (forest, thicket); Dutch -lo (suffix forming place names)), Old High German lōh (covered clearing, low bushes), Old Norse (clearing, meadow). More at Waterloo.

Pronunciation

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Noun

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leigh (plural leighs)

  1. (archaic) A meadow.

Manx

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Etymology

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From Old French lei (law), ultimately from Latin lēx.

Pronunciation

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Noun

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leigh f (genitive singular leigh, plural leighaghyn or leighyn)

  1. law

Derived terms

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Middle English

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Verb

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leigh

  1. Alternative form of laughen

Yola

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Etymology 1

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Verb

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leigh[1]

  1. Alternative form of leiough
    • 1867, “A YOLA ZONG”, in SONGS, ETC. IN THE DIALECT OF FORTH AND BARGY, number 2, page 84:
      Ch'am a stouk, an a donel; wou'll leigh out ee dey.
      I am a fool and a dunce; we'll idle out the day.

Etymology 2

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Verb

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leigh

  1. Alternative form of leeigh (to laugh)
    • 1927, “ZONG O DHREE YOLA MYTHENS”, in THE ANCIENT DIALECT OF THE BARONIES OF FORTH AND BARGY, COUNTY WEXFORD, page 131, lines 14[2]:
      But aal a bys do leigh an praat,
      But all the boys do laugh and prate,

References

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  1. ^ Jacob Poole (d. 1827) (before 1828) William Barnes, editor, A Glossary, With some Pieces of Verse, of the old Dialect of the English Colony in the Baronies of Forth and Bargy, County of Wexford, Ireland, London: J. Russell Smith, published 1867, page 52
  2. ^ Kathleen A. Browne (1927) The Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland Sixth Series, Vol.17 No.2, Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland, page 131