lem

See also: Lem, LEM, lem', and L.E.M.

Albanian

Alternative forms

• len (dialectal)

Etymology

Possibly from a Proto-Albanian *leudno, from Proto-Indo-European *h₁lewdʰ- (“man, people”). Alternatively formed from polem.

Noun

lem m (indefinite plural leme, definite singular lemi, definite plural lemet)

1. people

Declension

declension of lem

	indefinite forms (trajta të pashquara)			definite forms (trajta të shquara)
	singular (numri njëjës)	plural (numri shumës)		singular (numri njëjës)	plural (numri shumës)
nominative (emërore)	lem	leme		lemi	lemet
accusative (kallëzore)	lem	leme		lemin	lemet
genitive (gjinore) (i/e/të/së)	lemi	lemeve		lemit	lemevet
dative (dhanore)	lemi	lemeve		lemit	lemevet
ablative (rrjedhore)	lemi	lemesh		lemit	lemevet

---

Aromanian

Alternative forms

• lemnu

Etymology

From Latin lignum. Compare Daco-Romanian lemn.

Noun

lem n (plural lemi)

1. wood

---

Cimbrian

Etymology

From Middle High German leben, from Old High German lebēn, from Proto-West Germanic *libbjan, from Proto-Germanic *libjaną (“to live; to be alive”). Cognate with German leben, English live.

Verb

lem (auxiliary håm)

1. (Luserna) to live at, reside

   Moine non lem atz Lusérn. ― My grandparents live in Luserna.

References

• “lem” in Patuzzi, Umberto, ed., (2013) Ünsarne Börtar [Our Words], Luserna, Italy: Comitato unitario delle isole linguistiche storiche germaniche in Italia / Einheitskomitee der historischen deutschen Sprachinseln in Italien

---

Danish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /lɛmˀ/, [ˈlɛmˀ]
• Rhymes: -ɛmˀ

Etymology 1

From Old Danish lim, from Old Norse limr, from Proto-Germanic *limuz (“branch, limb”), cognate with Norwegian, Swedish lem, English limb, Dutch leem.

Noun

lem n (singular definite lemmet, plural indefinite lemmer)

1. limb (arm or leg in a human or an animal)
2. (formal) penis
3. (dated) inmate (in an institution)

Inflection

Declension of lem

neuter gender	Singular		Plural
	indefinite	definite	indefinite	definite
nominative	lem	lemmet	lemmer	lemmerne
genitive	lems	lemmets	lemmers	lemmernes

Derived terms

• baglem
• fattiglem
• forlem
• langlemmet
• lemmeløs
• medlem
• sværlemmet

 

References

• “lem,2” in Den Danske Ordbog

Etymology 2

From Old Norse hlemmr, from Proto-Germanic *hlammiz (“noice; lid”), cognate with Norwegian lem, Swedish läm, Old English hlemm, Gothic 𐌷𐌻𐌰𐌼𐌼𐌰 (hlamma).

Noun

lem c (singular definite lemmen, plural indefinite lemme)

1. hatch
2. trapdoor

Inflection

Declension of lem

common gender	Singular		Plural
	indefinite	definite	indefinite	definite
nominative	lem	lemmen	lemme	lemmene
genitive	lems	lemmens	lemmes	lemmenes

Derived terms

• faldlem
• kattelem
• loftslem

 

References

• “lem,1” in Den Danske Ordbog

---

Icelandic

Verb

lem (weak)

1. first-person singular present indicative of lemja
2. second-person singular imperative of lemja

---

Indonesian

Etymology

From Dutch lijm, from Middle Dutch lijm, from Old Dutch *līm, from Proto-Germanic *līmaz.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈlɛm]
• Hyphenation: lèm

Noun

lem or lèm

1. glue, any sticky adhesive substance.

   Synonym: perekat

Synonyms

• gam (Brunei, Malaysia, Singapore)
• perekat (Brunei, Malaysia, Singapore)

Derived terms

• leman
• mengelem
• pengelem
• pengeleman

 

Further reading

• “lem” in Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia (KBBI) Daring, Jakarta: Badan Pengembangan dan Pembinaan Bahasa, Kementerian Pendidikan dan Kebudayaan Republik Indonesia, 2016.

---

Irish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /lʲɛmˠ/

Contraction

lem (triggers lenition)

1. (Munster) Contraction of le mo (“with my”).

   Chuir sé cúl orm lem chuid oibre.

   It left me late with my work.

Related terms

Irish preposition contractions

Basic form	Contracted with							Copular forms
	an (“the sg”)	na (“the pl”)	mo (“my”)	do (“your”)	a (“his, her, their; which (present)”)	ár (“our”)	ar (“which (past)”)	(before consonant)	(present/future before vowel)	(past/conditional before vowel)
de (“from”)	den	de na desna*	de mo dem*	de do ded*, det*	dá	dár		dar	darb	darbh
do (“to, for”)	don	do na dosna*	do mo dom*	do do dod*, dot*	dá	dár		dar	darb	darbh
faoi (“under, about”)	faoin	faoi na	faoi mo	faoi do	faoina	faoinár	faoinar		faoinarb	faoinarbh
fara (“along with, beside”)	fairis an	fairis na	fara mo	fara do	farana	faranár	faranar		faranarb	faranarbh
i (“in”)	sa, san	sna	i mo im*	i do id*, it*	ina	inár	inar		inarb	inarbh
le (“with”)	leis an	leis na	le mo lem*	le do led*, let*	lena	lenár	lenar		lenarb	lenarbh
ó (“from, since”)	ón	ó na ósna*	ó mo óm*	ó do ód*, ót*	óna	ónár	ónar		ónarb	ónarbh
trí (“through”)	tríd an	trí na	trí mo	trí do	trína	trínár	trínar		trínarb	trínarbh
*Dialectal.

---

Livonian

Etymology

From Proto-Finnic *lämbin. Akin to Finnish lämmin.

Adjective

lem

1. warm

---

Middle Irish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /l͈ʲeṽ/

Etymology 1

From Proto-Celtic *lēmos, *limos (compare Welsh llwyf), from Proto-Indo-European *h₁élem (“mountain elm”); compare Latin ulmus.

Noun

lem m (genitive lim)

1. elm tree

   Synonym: lemán

Etymology 2

Ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₃lemH- (“weak, broken, soft”).

Adjective

lem

1. soft, tender
2. weak, powerless
3. impotent (in sexual sense)
4. foolish, worthless

Descendants

• Irish: leamh

Mutation

Middle Irish mutation
Radical	Lenition	Nasalization
lem	unchanged	unchanged
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.

Further reading

• Gregory Toner, Maire Ní Mhaonaigh, Sharon Arbuthnot, Dagmar Wodtko, Maire-Luise Theuerkauf, editors (2019), “1 lem (‘elm tree’)”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language
• Gregory Toner, Maire Ní Mhaonaigh, Sharon Arbuthnot, Dagmar Wodtko, Maire-Luise Theuerkauf, editors (2019), “2 lem (‘soft’)”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language

---

Mòcheno

Etymology 1

From Middle High German leben, from Old High German lebēn, from Proto-West Germanic *libbjan, from Proto-Germanic *libjaną (“to live; to be alive”). Cognate with German leben, English live.

Verb

lem

1. to live

Etymology 2

From Middle High German leben, from Old High German lebēn (noun), from the verb. Cognate with German Leben.

Noun

lem n

1. life

References

• “lem” in Cimbrian, Ladin, Mòcheno: Getting to know 3 peoples. 2015. Servizio minoranze linguistiche locali della Provincia autonoma di Trento, Trento, Italy.

---

Norwegian Nynorsk

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [lɛm] (example of pronunciation)

Etymology 1

From Old Norse limr, from Proto-Germanic *limuz (“branch, limb”) (compare English limb).

Noun

lem (definite singular lemmen or lemen, indefinite plural lemmar or lemmer or lemar or lemer, definite plural lammane or lemmene or lemane or lemene)

1. limb
2. member
3. (euphemistic) penis

Etymology 2

From Old Norse hlemmr, from Proto-Germanic *hlammiz, as also Icelandic hlemmur.

Noun

lem m (definite singular lemmen, indefinite plural lemmar, definite plural lemmane)

1. hatch
2. trapdoor

Etymology 3

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Verb

lem

1. present tense and imperative of lemja and lemje
2. imperative of lema, leme, lema and leme
3. imperative of lemma and lemme

References

• “lem” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.

Anagrams

• mel

---

Swedish

Etymology

From Old Norse limr, from Proto-Germanic *limuz (“branch, limb”) (compare English limb).

Noun

lem c

1. a limb (body part)

Declension

Declension of lem
	Singular		Plural
	Indefinite	Definite	Indefinite	Definite
Nominative	lem	lemmen	lemmar	lemmarna
Genitive	lems	lemmens	lemmars	lemmarnas

Related terms

• manslem
• medlem

See also

• läm

---

Vietnamese

Alternative forms

• nhem

Pronunciation

• (Hà Nội) IPA^(key): [lɛm˧˧]
• (Huế) IPA^(key): [lɛm˧˧]
• (Hồ Chí Minh City) IPA^(key): [lɛm˧˧]

Adjective

lem • (淋, 𥋲)

1. smudged, soiled

Derived terms

Derived terms

• lấm lem
• lem luốc
• lem nhem (từ láy)

 

---

Volapük

Noun

lem (nominative plural lems)

1. paralysis

Declension

declension of lem

	singular	plural
nominative	lem	lems
genitive	lema	lemas
dative	leme	lemes
accusative	lemi	lemis
vocative 1	o lem!	o lems!
predicative 2	lemu	lemus

• ¹ status as a case is disputed
• ² in later, non-classical Volapük only