-lei

Dutch

Etymology

From Old French lei (“law, custom”), possibly through Middle High German lei.

Pronunciation

• Audio:

  (file)

Suffix

-lei

1. means sort, kind, type; added to numerals or some pronouns: indicates the specified number of types

   Synonym: -hand

Usage notes

Since words with this suffix were originally univerbations of noun phrases, this suffix is always preceded in a compound by a determiner or numeral in the genitive feminine singular (as lei was a feminine noun), i.e. ending in -er.

Derived terms

• allerlei, enigerlei, generlei, menigerlei, velerlei, verscheidenerlei
• enerlei, tweeërlei, drieërlei, vierderlei

German

Alternative forms

• -ley, -lay (obsolete)
• -erlei (different segmentation)

Etymology

From Middle High German lei f (“kind”), from Old French lei, from Latin lex. Cognate with Dutch -lei.

Pronunciation

• Audio:

  (file)

Suffix

-lei

1. Suffix added to numerals and pronouns to create determiners/pronouns indicating variety

   Synonym: -hand

   ‎alle (“all”) + ‎-lei → ‎allerlei (“all kinds [of]”)

   ‎drei (“three”) + ‎-lei → ‎dreierlei (“three kinds [of]”)

Usage notes

• The noun following a determiner in -lei may be singular or plural. It is usually singular with abstract nouns, but alternatively plural with concrete nouns. Thus in zweierlei Hinsicht (“in two different aspects”), but mit zweierlei Öl or Ölen (“with two kinds of oils”).

Derived terms

German terms suffixed with -erlei

• beiderlei
• deinerlei
• dieserlei
• jederlei
• seinerlei
• solcherlei
• verschiedenerlei
• welcherlei
• waserlei

Further reading

• “-lei” in Duden online
• Friedrich Kluge (1883) “-lei”, in John Francis Davis, transl., Etymological Dictionary of the German Language, published 1891
• “-lei” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache

Middle English

Etymology 1

Suffix

-lei

1. Alternative form of -ly (“adjectival suffix”)

Etymology 2

Suffix

-lei

1. Alternative form of -ly (“adverbial suffix”)

Romanian

Alternative forms

• -ei

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /lej/

Suffix

-lei (pl)

1. variant of -a

   the (definite article)

Usage notes

• This form of the definite article is used for feminine nouns in the genitive and dative cases which end in a stressed vowel or diphthong:

basmalei, from basma, fem.

cafelei, from cafea, fem.

• Monosyllables ending in vowels also take this suffix:

zilei, from zi, fem.