lego

See also: Lego, LEGO, legó, legò, leĝo, and -lego

English

Noun

lego (countable and uncountable, plural legos)

1. Alternative letter-case form of Lego

Anagrams

• loge, Ogle, Goel, gole, Oleg, goel, Loge, ogle

Bislama

Etymology

From English let go.

Verb

lego

1. (transitive) to let go of, release, drop
2. (transitive) to leave someone or something, abandon
3. (transitive) to leave a place

Finnish

Alternative forms

• leego, Lego, Leego

Etymology

From Danish LEGO.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈle(ː)ɡo/, [ˈle̞(ː)ɡo̞]
• Rhymes: -eɡo
• Hyphenation^(key): le‧go

Proper noun

lego

1. Lego, lego, Lego brick (type of plastic toy brick)

Declension

Inflection of lego (Kotus type 1/valo, no gradation)
nominative		lego	legot
genitive		legon	legojen
partitive		legoa	legoja
illative		legoon	legoihin
		singular	plural
nominative		lego	legot
accusative	nom.	lego	legot
	gen.	legon
genitive		legon	legojen
partitive		legoa	legoja
inessive		legossa	legoissa
elative		legosta	legoista
illative		legoon	legoihin
adessive		legolla	legoilla
ablative		legolta	legoilta
allative		legolle	legoille
essive		legona	legoina
translative		legoksi	legoiksi
abessive		legotta	legoitta
instructive		—	legoin
comitative		See the possessive forms below.

Possessive forms of lego (Kotus type 1/valo, no gradation)

first-person singular possessor singular plural nominative legoni legoni accusative nom. legoni legoni gen. legoni genitive legoni legojeni partitive legoani legojani inessive legossani legoissani elative legostani legoistani illative legooni legoihini adessive legollani legoillani ablative legoltani legoiltani allative legolleni legoilleni essive legonani legoinani translative legokseni legoikseni abessive legottani legoittani instructive — — comitative — legoineni second-person singular possessor singular plural nominative legosi legosi accusative nom. legosi legosi gen. legosi genitive legosi legojesi partitive legoasi legojasi inessive legossasi legoissasi elative legostasi legoistasi illative legoosi legoihisi adessive legollasi legoillasi ablative legoltasi legoiltasi allative legollesi legoillesi essive legonasi legoinasi translative legoksesi legoiksesi abessive legottasi legoittasi instructive — — comitative — legoinesi first-person plural possessor singular plural nominative legomme legomme accusative nom. legomme legomme gen. legomme genitive legomme legojemme partitive legoamme legojamme inessive legossamme legoissamme elative legostamme legoistamme illative legoomme legoihimme adessive legollamme legoillamme ablative legoltamme legoiltamme allative legollemme legoillemme essive legonamme legoinamme translative legoksemme legoiksemme abessive legottamme legoittamme instructive — — comitative — legoinemme second-person plural possessor singular plural nominative legonne legonne accusative nom. legonne legonne gen. legonne genitive legonne legojenne partitive legoanne legojanne inessive legossanne legoissanne elative legostanne legoistanne illative legoonne legoihinne adessive legollanne legoillanne ablative legoltanne legoiltanne allative legollenne legoillenne essive legonanne legoinanne translative legoksenne legoiksenne abessive legottanne legoittanne instructive — — comitative — legoinenne third-person possessor singular plural nominative legonsa legonsa accusative nom. legonsa legonsa gen. legonsa genitive legonsa legojensa partitive legoaan legoansa legojaan legojansa inessive legossaan legossansa legoissaan legoissansa elative legostaan legostansa legoistaan legoistansa illative legoonsa legoihinsa adessive legollaan legollansa legoillaan legoillansa ablative legoltaan legoltansa legoiltaan legoiltansa allative legolleen legollensa legoilleen legoillensa essive legonaan legonansa legoinaan legoinansa translative legokseen legoksensa legoikseen legoiksensa abessive legottaan legottansa legoittaan legoittansa instructive — — comitative — legoineen legoinensa

Derived terms

• leego (“tooth”) (slang)

Ido

Etymology

Borrowed from Esperanto leĝo, French loi, Italian legge, Spanish ley.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈleɡo/

Noun

lego (plural legi)

1. law

Derived terms

• legala
• legifar

 

Italian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈle.ɡo/
• Rhymes: -eɡo
• Hyphenation: lé‧go

Verb

lego

1. first-person singular present indicative of legare

Anagrams

• gelo, gelò, gole

Latin

Etymology 1

Etymology tree

Proto-Indo-European *leǵ-der.

Proto-Italic *legōder.

Latin lego

From Proto-Italic *legō, from Proto-Indo-European *léǵ-e-ti, from Proto-Indo-European *leǵ-. Cognates include Ancient Greek λέγω (légō, “I speak, I choose, I mean”) and Albanian mbledh. May be related to lēx.^[1]

Pronunciation

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): /ˈle.ɡoː/, [ˈɫ̪ɛɡoː]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /ˈle.ɡo/, [ˈlɛːɡo]

Verb

legō (present infinitive legere, perfect active lēgī, supine lēctum); third conjugation

1. to choose, select

   Synonyms: dēligō, ēligō, optō, adoptō, dēsūmō, sēpōnō, dēstinō, sūmō, capiō, creō

2. to appoint

   Synonyms: dēlēgō, dēsignō, assignō, mandō, dēmandō, tribuō, īnstituō, impertiō, elēgō, appōnō, prōdō, cōnsociō, ōrdinō, distribuō, attribuō, discrībō, addīcō

   • 27 BCE – 25 BCE, Titus Livius, Ab Urbe Condita 26.1:

     […] dum ne quem militem legeret ex eo numero quibus senatus missionem reditumque in patriam negasset ante belli finem.

     […] provided he did not choose any soldier from those to whom the Senate had refused discharge and a return home before the end of the war

4. to collect, gather, bring together, catch

   Synonyms: cōgō, contrahō, cōnferō, congerō, coniungō, concieō, cōnserō, convehō, cōnstruō, glomerō, concitō, colligō

   • 29 BCE – 19 BCE, Virgil, Aeneid 4.683-685:

     “[...] Date volnera lymphīs / abluam, et, extrēmus sī quis super hālitus errat, / ōre legam.” [...]

     “Grant that I may wash her wounds with water, and, if any last breath wanders over her, I will gather it with my lips.”

5. to take out, pick out, extract, remove
6. to take to one's self unjustly, carry off, steal, purloin, plunder, abstract

   Synonyms: āmoveō, removeō, adimō, dēmō, eximō, tollō, auferō, āvertō, abdūcō, excipiō, extrahō, ēvehō

7. to read

   Librōs lege. ― Read books.

   Lēgistīne hunc librum? ― Have you read this book?

   Lingua Graeca est; nōn potest legī. ― It's Greek; it cannot be read.

   • 86 CE – 103 CE, Martial, Epigrammata 7.77:

     Exigis, ut nostrōs dōnem tibi, Tucca, libellōs.
     Nōn faciam: nam vīs vēndere, nōn legere.

     You demand that I give our [⇒ my] little books to you, Tucca.
     I will not do [it]: for you want to sell [them], not to read [them].

8. (Medieval Latin) to teach, profess

   Synonyms: doceō, discō, īnstruō, ēducō, ērudiō, ēdoceō, magistrō, fingō

Conjugation

indicative		singular			plural
		first	second	third	first	second	third
active	present	legō	legis	legit	legimus	legitis	legunt
	imperfect	legēbam	legēbās	legēbat	legēbāmus	legēbātis	legēbant
	future	legam	legēs	leget	legēmus	legētis	legent
	perfect	lēgī	lēgistī	lēgit	lēgimus	lēgistis	lēgērunt, lēgēre
	pluperfect	lēgeram	lēgerās	lēgerat	lēgerāmus	lēgerātis	lēgerant
	future perfect	lēgerō	lēgeris	lēgerit	lēgerimus	lēgeritis	lēgerint
passive	present	legor	legeris, legere	legitur	legimur	legiminī	leguntur
	imperfect	legēbar	legēbāris, legēbāre	legēbātur	legēbāmur	legēbāminī	legēbantur
	future	legar	legēris, legēre	legētur	legēmur	legēminī	legentur
	perfect	lēctus + present active indicative of sum
	pluperfect	lēctus + imperfect active indicative of sum
	future perfect	lēctus + future active indicative of sum
subjunctive		singular			plural
		first	second	third	first	second	third
active	present	legam	legās	legat	legāmus	legātis	legant
imperfect	legerem	legerēs	legeret	legerēmus	legerētis	legerent
perfect	lēgerim	lēgerīs	lēgerit	lēgerīmus	lēgerītis	lēgerint
pluperfect	lēgissem	lēgissēs	lēgisset	lēgissēmus	lēgissētis	lēgissent
passive	present	legar	legāris, legāre	legātur	legāmur	legāminī	legantur
imperfect	legerer	legerēris, legerēre	legerētur	legerēmur	legerēminī	legerentur
perfect	lēctus + present active subjunctive of sum
pluperfect	lēctus + imperfect active subjunctive of sum
imperative		singular			plural
		first	second	third	first	second	third
active	present	—	lege	—	—	legite	—
	future	—	legitō	legitō	—	legitōte	leguntō
passive	present	—	legere	—	—	legiminī	—
	future	—	legitor	legitor	—	—	leguntor
non-finite forms		active			passive
		present	perfect	future	present	perfect	future
infinitives		legere	lēgisse	lēctūrum esse	legī	lēctum esse	lēctum īrī
participles		legēns	—	lēctūrus	—	lēctus	legendus, legundus
verbal nouns		gerund				supine
		genitive	dative	accusative	ablative	accusative	ablative
		legendī	legendō	legendum	legendō	lēctum	lēctū

   Conjugation of legō (third conjugation)

Derived terms

• allegō
• colligō
• dēligō
• dīligō
• ēligō
• intellegō
• lēctiō
• lēctitō
• lēctor
• lēctrīx
• legiō
• legulus
• legūmen
• lignum
• neglegō
• perlegō
• praelegō
• relegō
• sēligō
• spīcilegium
• sublegō

 

Descendants

• Balkan Romance
  • Aromanian: aleg
• Dalmatian:
  • laro
• Italo-Romance:
  • Corsican: leghja
  • Italian: leggere
    • → Neapolitan: leggere
    • → Sicilian: lèggiri
  • Neapolitan: lejere (obsolete or N. Calabrian)
  • Sicilian: lèjiri (obsolete or S. Calabrian)
    • Sicilian: lègghiri (affricated, Hyblaean)
• Padanian:
  • Friulian: lei
  • Istriot: lezi
  • Ligurian: lêze
  • Lombard: lèzer, les, lecc, léger
  • Piedmontese: lese
  • Romansch: leger, liger, ler
  • Venetan: lèzar, lèzer, lèxer
• Gallo-Romance:
  • Catalan: llegir
  • Franco-Provençal: liére, leire
  • French: lire
  • Norman: liéthe (Jersey)
  • Occitan: legir

    Gascon: léger, leguir

• Ibero-Romance:
  • Aragonese: leyer, lier, leir, liyer, leyir
  • Old Leonese: leer
    • Asturian: lleer, llier
    • Leonese: lliere, lleere
  • Old Galician-Portuguese: leer
    • Galician: ler
    • Portuguese: ler
  • Spanish: leer
• Insular Romance:
  • Sardinian: lègere, lèghere, lèzere, leghere, lezere
• Borrowings:
  • → Albanian: lexoj
  • → Esperanto: legi
  • → German: lesen
  • → Old Irish: légaid
    • Irish: léigh
    • Manx: lhaih
    • Scottish Gaelic: leugh
  • → Welsh: lleu, darllen
  • → Yiddish: לייענען (leyenen)
    • → Dutch: lajenen
    • → English: leyn
    • → Hungarian: lejnol

Etymology 2

Etymology tree

Latin lēx

Latin -ō

Latin lego

From lēx (“a formal motion for a law”) +‎ -ō.

Pronunciation

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): /ˈleː.ɡoː/, [ˈɫ̪eːɡoː]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /ˈle.ɡo/, [ˈlɛːɡo]

Verb

lēgō (present infinitive lēgāre, perfect active lēgāvī, supine lēgātum); first conjugation

1. to dispatch, send as ambassador
2. to send on mission
3. to assign as a legatus
4. to delegate, entrust, assign, deputize

   Synonyms: dēlēgō, dēsignō, assignō, mandō, dēmandō, tribuō, impertiō, discrībō, elēgō, cōnsociō, ōrdinō, attribuō, appōnō, addīcō

5. to appoint by a last will or testament, leave or bequeath as a legacy

Conjugation

indicative		singular			plural
		first	second	third	first	second	third
active	present	lēgō	lēgās	lēgat	lēgāmus	lēgātis	lēgant
	imperfect	lēgābam	lēgābās	lēgābat	lēgābāmus	lēgābātis	lēgābant
	future	lēgābō	lēgābis	lēgābit	lēgābimus	lēgābitis	lēgābunt
	perfect	lēgāvī	lēgāvistī	lēgāvit	lēgāvimus	lēgāvistis	lēgāvērunt, lēgāvēre
	pluperfect	lēgāveram	lēgāverās	lēgāverat	lēgāverāmus	lēgāverātis	lēgāverant
	future perfect	lēgāverō	lēgāveris	lēgāverit	lēgāverimus	lēgāveritis	lēgāverint
	sigmatic future1	lēgāssō	lēgāssis	lēgāssit	lēgāssimus	lēgāssitis	lēgāssint
passive	present	lēgor	lēgāris, lēgāre	lēgātur	lēgāmur	lēgāminī	lēgantur
	imperfect	lēgābar	lēgābāris, lēgābāre	lēgābātur	lēgābāmur	lēgābāminī	lēgābantur
	future	lēgābor	lēgāberis, lēgābere	lēgābitur	lēgābimur	lēgābiminī	lēgābuntur
	perfect	lēgātus + present active indicative of sum
	pluperfect	lēgātus + imperfect active indicative of sum
	future perfect	lēgātus + future active indicative of sum
subjunctive		singular			plural
		first	second	third	first	second	third
active	present	lēgem	lēgēs	lēget	lēgēmus	lēgētis	lēgent
imperfect	lēgārem	lēgārēs	lēgāret	lēgārēmus	lēgārētis	lēgārent
perfect	lēgāverim	lēgāverīs	lēgāverit	lēgāverīmus	lēgāverītis	lēgāverint
pluperfect	lēgāvissem	lēgāvissēs	lēgāvisset	lēgāvissēmus	lēgāvissētis	lēgāvissent
sigmatic aorist1	lēgāssim	lēgāssīs	lēgāssīt	lēgāssīmus	lēgāssītis	lēgāssint
passive	present	lēger	lēgēris, lēgēre	lēgētur	lēgēmur	lēgēminī	lēgentur
imperfect	lēgārer	lēgārēris, lēgārēre	lēgārētur	lēgārēmur	lēgārēminī	lēgārentur
perfect	lēgātus + present active subjunctive of sum
pluperfect	lēgātus + imperfect active subjunctive of sum
imperative		singular			plural
		first	second	third	first	second	third
active	present	—	lēgā	—	—	lēgāte	—
	future	—	lēgātō	lēgātō	—	lēgātōte	lēgantō
passive	present	—	lēgāre	—	—	lēgāminī	—
	future	—	lēgātor	lēgātor	—	—	lēgantor
non-finite forms		active			passive
		present	perfect	future	present	perfect	future
infinitives		lēgāre	lēgāvisse	lēgātūrum esse	lēgārī	lēgātum esse	lēgātum īrī
participles		lēgāns	—	lēgātūrus	—	lēgātus	lēgandus
verbal nouns		gerund				supine
		genitive	dative	accusative	ablative	accusative	ablative
		lēgandī	lēgandō	lēgandum	lēgandō	lēgātum	lēgātū

   Conjugation of lēgō (first conjugation)

¹At least one use of the archaic "sigmatic future" and "sigmatic aorist" tenses is attested, which are used by Old Latin writers; most notably Plautus and Terence. The sigmatic future is generally ascribed a future or future perfect meaning, while the sigmatic aorist expresses a possible desire ("might want to").

Derived terms

• ablēgō
• allēgō
• collēga
• dēlēgō
• praelēgō
• relēgō

 

Related terms

• lēgālis
• lēgāliter
• lēgātīcius
• lēgātiō
• lēgātīvus
• lēgātor
• lēgātōrius
• lēgātus
• lēgifer
• lēgirupa
• lēgirupiō
• lēgisdoctor
• lēgislātiō
• lēgislātor
• lēgisperītus
• lēgitimē
• lēgitimus
• lēgumlātor
• lēx

 

Descendants

• Catalan: llegar
• Italian: legare
• → Portuguese: legar
• Spanish: legar
• Gallo-Italic:
  • Romagnol: lighêr

References

1. Douglas Harper (2001–2024) “legal”, in Online Etymology Dictionary.

Further reading

• “lego”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “lego”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
• lego in Enrico Olivetti, editor (2003-2024), Dizionario Latino, Olivetti Media Communication
• lego in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.
• Carl Meißner, Henry William Auden (1894) Latin Phrase-Book‎, London: Macmillan and Co.
  • to read Plato: Platonem legere, lectitare
    
  • to study Plato: Platonem legere et cognoscere
    
  • the reader: legentes, ii qui legunt
    
  • to leave money to a person in one's will: pecuniam alicui legare
    
  • a dictator appoints a magister equitum: dictator dicit (legit) magistrum equitum
    
  • to elect to the senate: in senatum legere, eligere
    
  • to levy recruits to fill up the strength: supplementum cogere, scribere, legere
    
  • to hug the coast: oram legere (Liv. 21. 51)
    
  • (ambiguous) this is our natural tendency, our destiny; nature compels us: ita (ea lege, ea condicione) nati sumus
    
  • (ambiguous) the rules of speech, grammar: leges dicendi
    
  • (ambiguous) to hold by the letter (of the law): verba ac litteras or scriptum (legis) sequi (opp. sententia the spirit)
    
  • (ambiguous) the constitution: instituta et leges
    
  • (ambiguous) to give the state a constitution: civitati leges, iudicia, iura describere
    
  • (ambiguous) to bring a bill before the notice of the people: legem, rogationem promulgare (Liv. 33. 46)
    
  • (ambiguous) to propose a law in the popular assembly: legem ferre or simply ferre ad populum, ut...
    
  • (ambiguous) to support a bill (before the people): legem suadere (opp. dissuadere)
    
  • (ambiguous) to support a bill (before the people): pro lege dicere
    
  • (ambiguous) to formally propose a law to the people: legem rogare or rogare populum (cf. sect. XVI. 4, note Aulus Gellius...)
    
  • (ambiguous) to carry a law (said of the magistrate): legem perferre (Liv. 33. 46)
    
  • (ambiguous) to reject a bill: legem antiquare (opp. accipere, iubere)
    
  • (ambiguous) to vote for a law: legem sciscere (Planc. 14. 35)
    
  • (ambiguous) to ratify a law (used of the people): legem iubere
    
  • (ambiguous) to let a bill become law (of the people and senate): legem sancire
    
  • (ambiguous) Solo ordained by law that..: Solo lege sanxit, ut or ne
    
  • (ambiguous) to replace an old law by a new: legem abrogare (Att. 3. 23. 2)
    
  • (ambiguous) to abolish a law: legem tollere (Leg. 2. 12. 31)
    
  • (ambiguous) to protest against a law (used of the veto, intercessio, of plebeian tribunes): legi intercedere
    
  • (ambiguous) to bring a law before the notice of the people: legem proponere in publicum
    
  • (ambiguous) to engrave a law upon a brazen tablet: legem in aes incīdere
    
  • (ambiguous) to declare a law valid: legem ratam esse iubere
    
  • (ambiguous) to transgress a law: a lege discedere
    
  • (ambiguous) the law says..: in lege scriptum est, or simply est
    
  • (ambiguous) the spirit of the law: sententia or voluntas legis
    
  • (ambiguous) to make laws (of a legislator): leges scribere, facere, condere, constituere (not dare)
    
  • (ambiguous) a legislator: qui leges scribit (not legum lator)
    
  • (ambiguous) to swear obedience to a law: in legem iurare (Sest. 16. 37)
    
  • (ambiguous) to be bound by a law: lege teneri
    
  • (ambiguous) on condition of..: ea lege, ut
    
  • (ambiguous) a thing is illegal: aliquid contra legem est
    
  • (ambiguous) to upset the whole constitution: omnes leges confundere
    
  • (ambiguous) lawlessness; anarchy: leges nullae
    
  • (ambiguous) to go to law with a person: (ex) iure, lege agere cum aliquo
    
  • (ambiguous) to be condemned under the Lex Plautia: lege Plautia damnari (Sall. Cat. 31. 4)
    

Norwegian Nynorsk

Etymology 1

Noun

lego m (definite singular legoen, uncountable)

1. Alternative letter-case form of LEGO

Etymology 2

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Noun

lègo f

1. (non-standard since 1917) definite singular of lègu

Old Leonese

Etymology

Inherited from Latin lāicus, which was borrowed from Ancient Greek λαϊκός (laïkós).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈʎe.ɡo(u)/

Noun

lego m

1. layman
   • c. 1265, Fuero de Salamanca:

     Nengun lego que deſafiar clerigo, peche .ccc. ſoldoſ e afielo; la tercia parte al quereloſo e la tercia al biſpo e la tercia alos alcaldes.

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

Descendants

• Asturian: llegu

Polish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈlɛ.ɡɔ/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɛɡɔ
• Syllabification: le‧go

Noun

lego

1. vocative singular of lega

Portuguese

Pronunciation

 

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈlɛ.ɡu/

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈlɛ.ɡu/
  • (Southern Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈlɛ.ɡo/

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /ˈlɛ.ɡu/ [ˈlɛ.ɣu]

• Rhymes: -ɛɡu
• Hyphenation: le‧go

Etymology 1

Borrowed from Danish Lego.

Alternative forms

• Lego

Noun

lego m (plural legos)

1. Lego (small, coloured plastic toy bricks made by the Lego Company)
2. (trademark generalisation) any similar brick toy
3. (figurative) things that can be assembled together to form a larger thing

Etymology 2

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Verb

lego

1. first-person singular present indicative of legar

Spanish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈleɡo/ [ˈle.ɣ̞o]
• Rhymes: -eɡo
• Syllabification: le‧go

Etymology 1

Inherited from Old Spanish lego, from Latin lāicus, borrowed from Ancient Greek λαϊκός (laïkós). Doublet of laico.

Adjective

lego (feminine lega, masculine plural legos, feminine plural legas)

1. ignorant, lay

Noun

lego m (plural legos, feminine lega, feminine plural legas)

1. layman

Etymology 2

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Verb

lego

1. first-person singular present indicative of legar

Further reading

• “lego”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 2024 December 10

Swedish

Swedish Wikipedia has an article on:

lego

Wikipedia ^sv

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈleː.ɡu/

Noun

lego n

1. Lego

   bygga (med) lego

   build/play with lego

   leka med lego

   play with lego

2. In compound words; an ablaut of lega (“hired; contracted”).

   ett legoavtal

   an outsourcing contract

   en legosoldat

   a mercenary

   (literally, “a hired soldier”)

Declension

Declension of lego

		nominative	genitive
singular	indefinite	lego	legos
	definite	legot	legots
plural	indefinite	—	—
	definite	—	—

Derived terms

• legobit (“lego, piece of lego”)
• legokloss (“lego, lego brick”)

Anagrams

• geol., loge