ледзьве

Belarusian

Alternative forms

• ledźvie, ledźwie — Łacinka (Belarusian Latin alphabet)

Etymology

Most likely borrowed from Polish ledwie or otherwise derived from it via Old Ruthenian, given the characteristically West Slavic onset le- (compare Czech and Slovak ledva) as opposed to expected East Slavic je- (compare Russian едва́ (jedvá)), ultimately from Proto-Slavic *(j)edъva. Cognates include Ukrainian ле́две (lédve).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈlʲed͡zʲvʲe]

• Audio:

  (file)

Adverb

ле́дзьве • (ljédzʹvje)

1. difficultly, hardly, with great difficulty, barely

   Synonym: насі́лу (nasílu)

   ле́дзьве стрыма́ўся ― ljédzʹvje strymáŭsja ― barely restrained himself

   ён ле́дзьве падня́ў кош ― jon ljédzʹvje padnjáŭ koš ― he barely lifted the basket

   ле́дзьве но́гі но́сяць ― ljédzʹvje nóhi nósjacʹ ― the legs barely carry themselves

2. (colloquial, in the negative with не (nje)) almost, nearly

   Synonyms: ама́ль (amálʹ), ледзь (ljedzʹ), чуць не (čucʹ nje)

Derived terms

• ледзь (ljedzʹ)
• ледзьве-ледзьве (ljedzʹvje-ljedzʹvje)

 

References

• “ледзьве”, in Skarnik's Belarusian dictionary (in Belarusian), based on Kandrat Krapiva's Explanatory Dictionary of the Belarusian Language (1977-1984)
• “ледзьве” in Belarusian–Russian dictionaries and Belarusian dictionaries at slounik.org