leu

See also: Leu, LEU, léu, lèu, and lều

English

Etymology

Borrowed from Romanian leu (“lion”), from Latin leō (“lion”). Doublet of Leo, lev, lion, and Lyon.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈleɪ.uː/

Noun

leu (plural lei)

1. The unit of currency of Romania, equal to one hundred bani.
2. The unit of currency of Moldova, equal to one hundred bani.

Translations

Translations

• Bulgarian: ле́я (bg) f (léja)
• Catalan: leu (ca) m
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 列伊 (zh) (lièyī)

• Finnish: leu (fi)
• Greek: λέι (el) n (léi) (indeclinable)
• Hungarian: lej (hu)
• Japanese: レウ (ja) (reu)
• Korean: 레우 (re'u)
• Macedonian: леа f (lea)
• Polish: lej (pl) m
• Portuguese: leu (pt) m
• Romanian: leu (ro) m
• Russian: лей (ru) m (lej)
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: леј m

  Roman: lej (sh) m

• Slovak: leu m, lei m
• Ukrainian: лей (uk) m (lej)

Anagrams

• -ule, Elu, Lue, lue, ule

Bourguignon

Alternative forms

• lei

Etymology

From Latin locus.

Noun

leu m (plural leus)

1. (Morvan) place

Catalan

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (Central, Balearic) [ˈlɛw]
• IPA^(key): (Valencia) [ˈlew]

Noun

leu m (plural leus)

1. leu (currency of Romania)
2. leu (currency of Moldova)

Further reading

• “leu” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.
• “leu”, in Gran Diccionari de la Llengua Catalana, Grup Enciclopèdia Catalana, 2024
• “leu” in Diccionari normatiu valencià, Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua.

Champenois

Alternative forms

• lou
• lop

Etymology

Inherited from Old French leu, from Latin lupus. Cognate with French loup, Bourguignon leu, Picard leu, Norman leu, Walloon leu, Franco-Provençal lop and Occitan lop.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /lø/

Noun

leu m (feminine leuve, plural leus)

1. (Troyen) wolf

References

• Jean Daunay, Parlers de Champagne, 1998
• Baudouin, Glossaire de la forêt de Clairvaux (Ville-sous-la-Ferté), 1887

Finnish

Etymology

From Romanian leu.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈleu̯/, [ˈle̞u̯]
• Rhymes: -eu
• Syllabification^(key): leu

Noun

leu

1. leu (unit of currency of Romania and Moldova)

Declension

Inflection of leu (Kotus type 21/rosé, no gradation)
nominative		leu	leut
genitive		leun	leuiden leuitten
partitive		leuta	leuita
illative		leuhun	leuihin
		singular	plural
nominative		leu	leut
accusative	nom.	leu	leut
	gen.	leun
genitive		leun	leuiden leuitten
partitive		leuta	leuita
inessive		leussa	leuissa
elative		leusta	leuista
illative		leuhun	leuihin
adessive		leulla	leuilla
ablative		leulta	leuilta
allative		leulle	leuille
essive		leuna	leuina
translative		leuksi	leuiksi
abessive		leutta	leuitta
instructive		—	leuin
comitative		See the possessive forms below.

Possessive forms of leu (Kotus type 21/rosé, no gradation)

first-person singular possessor singular plural nominative leuni leuni accusative nom. leuni leuni gen. leuni genitive leuni leuideni leuitteni partitive leutani leuitani inessive leussani leuissani elative leustani leuistani illative leuhuni leuihini adessive leullani leuillani ablative leultani leuiltani allative leulleni leuilleni essive leunani leuinani translative leukseni leuikseni abessive leuttani leuittani instructive — — comitative — leuineni second-person singular possessor singular plural nominative leusi leusi accusative nom. leusi leusi gen. leusi genitive leusi leuidesi leuittesi partitive leutasi leuitasi inessive leussasi leuissasi elative leustasi leuistasi illative leuhusi leuihisi adessive leullasi leuillasi ablative leultasi leuiltasi allative leullesi leuillesi essive leunasi leuinasi translative leuksesi leuiksesi abessive leuttasi leuittasi instructive — — comitative — leuinesi first-person plural possessor singular plural nominative leumme leumme accusative nom. leumme leumme gen. leumme genitive leumme leuidemme leuittemme partitive leutamme leuitamme inessive leussamme leuissamme elative leustamme leuistamme illative leuhumme leuihimme adessive leullamme leuillamme ablative leultamme leuiltamme allative leullemme leuillemme essive leunamme leuinamme translative leuksemme leuiksemme abessive leuttamme leuittamme instructive — — comitative — leuinemme second-person plural possessor singular plural nominative leunne leunne accusative nom. leunne leunne gen. leunne genitive leunne leuidenne leuittenne partitive leutanne leuitanne inessive leussanne leuissanne elative leustanne leuistanne illative leuhunne leuihinne adessive leullanne leuillanne ablative leultanne leuiltanne allative leullenne leuillenne essive leunanne leuinanne translative leuksenne leuiksenne abessive leuttanne leuittanne instructive — — comitative — leuinenne third-person possessor singular plural nominative leunsa leunsa accusative nom. leunsa leunsa gen. leunsa genitive leunsa leuidensa leuittensa partitive leutaan leutansa leuitaan leuitansa inessive leussaan leussansa leuissaan leuissansa elative leustaan leustansa leuistaan leuistansa illative leuhunsa leuihinsa adessive leullaan leullansa leuillaan leuillansa ablative leultaan leultansa leuiltaan leuiltansa allative leulleen leullensa leuilleen leuillensa essive leunaan leunansa leuinaan leuinansa translative leukseen leuksensa leuikseen leuiksensa abessive leuttaan leuttansa leuittaan leuittansa instructive — — comitative — leuineen leuinensa

Synonyms

• lei

Further reading

• “leu”, in Kielitoimiston sanakirja [Dictionary of Contemporary Finnish]‎^[1] (in Finnish) (online dictionary, continuously updated), Kotimaisten kielten keskuksen verkkojulkaisuja 35, Helsinki: Kotimaisten kielten tutkimuskeskus (Institute for the Languages of Finland), 2004–, retrieved 2023-07-02

Anagrams

• lue

French

Etymology

From Romanian leu (“lion”). Doublet of lion.

Pronunciation

• Audio:

  (file)

Noun

leu m (plural lei)

1. leu (currency of Romania)

Further reading

• “leu”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

Anagrams

• élu, lue

Galician

Noun

leu m (plural lei)

1. leu

Verb

leu

1. third-person singular preterite indicative of ler

Middle French

Verb

leu

1. past participle of lire

Old French

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈlɛw/

Etymology 1

From Latin lupus.

Alternative forms

• lou, lu

Noun

leu oblique singular, m (oblique plural leus, nominative singular leus, nominative plural leu)

1. wolf (animal)

Descendants

• Middle French: leu
  • ⇒ French: à la queue leu leu
• ⇒ Middle French: loup
  • French: loup
    • Haitian Creole: lou
    • ⇒ Mauritian Creole: lulu
    • ⇒ Seychellois Creole: loulou
    • → English: loo; Loup

Etymology 2

From Latin locus.

Noun

leu oblique singular, m (oblique plural leus, nominative singular leus, nominative plural leu)

1. place
   • c. 1180, Chrétien de Troyes, Lancelot ou le Chevalier de la charrette:

     Se vos alez par autre leu

     If you go by another place

   • 1260–1267, Brunetto Latini, “Cist premiers livres parole de la naissance de toutes choses [This first book talks about the birth of all things]” (chapter 1), Livre I - Premiere partie, in Livres dou Tresor [Book of Treasures]; republished as Polycarpe Chabaille, compiler, Li livres dou tresor par Brunetto Latini‎^[2], Paris: Imprimerie impériale, 1863, page 1:

     si come li sires qui vuet en petit leu amasser choses de grandisme vaillance […] por acroistre son pooir […] i met il les plus chieres choses et les plus precieux joiaus que il puet, selonc sa bone entencion, tout autressi est li cors de cest livre compilez de sapience

     Just like the lord, who wants to accumulate very valuable things in a tiny place […] in order to increase his power, […] puts there—according to his good intention—the dearest things and the most precious jewels he can, so the body of this book is filled with knowledge

Synonyms

• endroit

Derived terms

• Middle French: lieu
  • French: lieu

Old Irish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [lʲeu̯]

Pronoun

leu

1. third-person plural accusative of la
   • c. 800, Würzburg Glosses on the Pauline Epistles, published in Thesaurus Palaeohibernicus (reprinted 1987, Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies), edited and with translations by Whitley Stokes and John Strachan, vol. I, pp. 499–712, Wb. 5^b20

     trisin intamail sin .i. combad ǽt leu buid domsa i n-iriss et duús in intamlitis

     through that imitation, i.e. so that there may be jealousy with them for me to be in faith and if by chance they might imitate [me]

   • c. 800–825, Diarmait, Milan Glosses on the Psalms, published in Thesaurus Palaeohibernicus (reprinted 1987, Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies), edited and with translations by Whitley Stokes and John Strachan, vol. I, pp. 7–483, Ml. 97^d10

     Is peccad díabul lesom .i. fodord doib di dommatu, ⁊ du·fúairthed ní leu fora sáith din main, ⁊ todlugud inna féulæ ɔ amairis nánda·tibérad Día doïb, ⁊ nach coimnacuir ⁊ issi dano insin ind frescissiu co fochaid.

     It is a double sin in his opinion, i.e. the murmuring by them of want, although there remained some of the manna with them upon their satiety, and demanding the meat with faithlessness that Good would not give it to them, and [even] that he could not; therefore that is the expectation with testing.

Papiamentu

Etymology

From Spanish lejos and French loin .

Adjective

leu

1. far

Portuguese

Pronunciation

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈlew/ [ˈleʊ̯]

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /ˈlew/

• Hyphenation: leu

Etymology 1

Borrowed from Romanian leu (“leu; lion”).

Noun

leu m (plural leus)

1. leu (currency unit of Romania and Moldova)

Etymology 2

Verb

leu

1. third-person singular preterite indicative of ler

Romanian

Alternative forms

• леу (leu) — post-1930s Cyrillic spelling

Etymology

Probably a later learned borrowing from Latin leō (“lion”) (around the 17th century), itself from Ancient Greek λέων (léōn). If inherited from the nominative form, the expected result in Romanian would have been *ieu (as iepure from leporem); furthermore, all the other Romance cognates were derived from the accusative form leōnem or genitive leōnis (and some were borrowings themselves). Cf. also lăun and Lăune(le) (“a river in Romania”), as well as leoaie.

For the name of the currency, it was probably based on the Dutch leeuwendaalder (“lion thaler/dollar”), which depicted a lion; compare daalder, also German Löwenthaler. This traces back to the 17th century, when the Dutch currency was used in the Romanian principalities.

Another explanation gives the origin of this sense as a calque of Turkish arslan (“lion”), which was also used to refer to a type of currency with a lion on it; see also piastru (English piastre). Compare also the sense of currency with Bulgarian лев (lev).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /lew/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ew

Noun

leu m (plural lei)

1. lion
2. leu (Romanian and Moldovan unit of currency)
   • 1991 November 21, Constitution of Romania, title 4, article 136, point 2, in Monitorul Oficial‎^[3], year 3, number 233, Bucharest, page 21:

     Moneda națională este leul, iar subdiviziunea acestuia, banul.

     The national currency is the leu, and its subunit is the ban.

Declension

Declension of leu

	singular		plural
	indefinite articulation	definite articulation	indefinite articulation	definite articulation
nominative/accusative	(un) leu	leul	(niște) lei	leii
genitive/dative	(unui) leu	leului	(unor) lei	leilor
vocative	leule		leilor

Derived terms

• leoaică
• leoaie

Further reading

• leu in DEX online—Dicționare ale limbii române (Dictionaries of the Romanian language)

Slovak

Etymology

Derived from Romanian leu (“lion”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈlɛu̯/
• Homophone: lev

Noun

leu m inan (nominative plural lei)

1. leu (currency of Romania)

Usage notes

• This noun can also be undeclined.

Further reading

• “leu”, 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, 2024

Spanish

Etymology

Borrowed from Romanian leu.

Noun

leu m (plural lei)

1. leu

Walloon

Alternative forms

• leû

Etymology

From Old French leu, from Latin lupus.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /løː/

Noun

leu m (plural leus)

1. wolf

References

• “Leu” in Laurent Remacle, Dictionnaire wallon-français (1852).
• “Leu” in Joseph Hubert, Dictionnaire wallon-liégeois et français (1853).