Middle English

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Alternative forms

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Etymology

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From Old French leon, leun, liun, from Latin leōnem, accusative of leō, from Ancient Greek λέων (léōn).

Pronunciation

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  • IPA(key): /liːˈuːn/, /liˈuːn/, /lɛːˈuːn/, /lɛˈuːn/, /ˈliːun/, /ˈlɛːun/, /-oːn/

Noun

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lyoun (plural lyouns)

  1. lion (The felid Panthera leo)
    • c. 1395, John Wycliffe, John Purvey [et al.], transl., Bible (Wycliffite Bible (later version), MS Lich 10.)‎[1], published c. 1410, Apocalips 4:7, page 118v, column 2; republished as Wycliffe's translation of the New Testament, Lichfield: Bill Endres, 2010:
      ⁊ þe firſte beeſte .· liyk a lioun / ⁊ þe ſecounde beeſte .· lijk a calf / ⁊ þe þꝛidde beeſte .· hauynge a face as of a man / ⁊ þe fourþe beeſte .· liyk an egle fleynge
      And the first beast [was] like a lion; and the second beast [was] like a calf; and the third beast had a face like a human; and the fourth beast [was] like an eagle flying.
  2. A depiction of a lion (as in heraldry).
  3. Leo (the constellation or astrological sign)
  4. (figurative) An unjust or ferocious individual.

Descendants

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  • English: lion (see there for further descendants)
  • Scots: lion
  • Yola: leeoon, leioon

References

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