different between lest vs lese

English

Etymology

c. 1200, contracted from Middle English les te (“less that”), from Old English þy læs þe (“whereby less that”), from þy (instrumental case of demonstrative article þæt “that”) + læs (“less”) + þe (“the”). The þy was dropped and the remaining two words contracted into leste.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /l?st/
• Rhymes: -?st
• (obsolete) IPA^(key): /li?st/

Conjunction

lest (formal, literary)

1. For fear that; that not; in order to prevent something from happening; in case.

   Synonym: (informal) before
2. (after certain expressions denoting fear or apprehension) that (without the negative particle; introduces the reason for an emotion.)

Usage notes

• This word has become archaic for many English speakers.
• lest is usually followed by a verb in the subjunctive mood in either the present or future tense.

For example: Lest they be captured, the soldiers fled from the battlefield.

Let him attend the ceremony which commemorates the achievements of his ancestors, lest he forget.

In the future tense, when it is differentiated from the present, it usually goes with should.

Let us get to the station early, lest we should miss our connection.

Translations

See also

• judge not lest ye be judged
• in case
• lest we forget

References

Anagrams

• ELTs, LETS, LTEs, TESL, elts, let's, lets, tels

Czech

Etymology

From Proto-Slavic *l?st?, from Gothic ???????????????????? (lists), from Proto-Germanic *listiz.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?l?st/

Noun

lest f

1. trick, ruse
2. stratagem

Declension

Derived terms

• lstivý

Anagrams

• slet

Further reading

• lest in P?íru?ní slovník jazyka ?eského, 1935–1957
• lest in Slovník spisovného jazyka ?eského, 1960–1971, 1989

Dutch

Pronunciation

Verb

lest

1. second- and third-person singular present indicative of lessen
2. (archaic) plural imperative of lessen

French

Etymology

Borrowed from Dutch last (“load, burden”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /l?st/

Noun

lest m (plural lests)

1. dead weight; ballast

Derived terms

• lester

Further reading

• “lest” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

Anagrams

• tels

German

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /le?st/

Verb

lest

1. inflection of lesen:
   1. second-person plural present indicative
   2. second-person plural imperative

Hungarian

Etymology

les +? -t

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [?l??t]
• Hyphenation: lest
• Rhymes: -??t

Noun

lest

1. accusative singular of les

Icelandic

Etymology

From Middle Low German last.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?l?st/
• Rhymes: -?st

Noun

lest f (genitive singular lestar, nominative plural lestir)

1. train, file, row, line
2. railway train
3. cargo hold
4. ton
5. (obsolete) cargo, burden, load

Declension

Synonyms

• (train, file): röð
• (railway train): járnbrautarlest
• (cargo hold): lestarrúm, vörurúm
• (ton): tonn
• (cargo, burden): byrði, farmur

Derived terms

• bílalest (“convoy of cars”)
• hraðlest (“high speed train”)
• járnbrautarlest (“railroad train”)
• neðanjarðarlest (“underground train”)
• rúmlest (“register ton”)
• skipalest (“convoy of ships”)
• smálest (“metric ton”)
• snarlest (“rapid transit train”)
• ulfaldalest (“convoy of camels”)

Related terms

• lesta (“to load, to fill with cargo”)

Norwegian Bokmål

Etymology 1

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /le?st/

Verb

lest

1. supine of lese

Etymology 2

From Old Norse leistr, from Proto-Germanic *laistaz.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /l?st/

Noun

lest m (definite singular lesten, indefinite plural lester, definite plural lestene)

1. a last (a tool in the shape of a human foot, for shaping or preserving the shape of shoes)
2. (clothing) the foot-part of a stocking

Alternative forms

• (non-standard since 2005) leist

Etymology 3

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /l?st/

Verb

lest (present tense lest, past tense lest)

1. form removed with the spelling reform of 2005; superseded by less

References

• “lest” in The Bokmål Dictionary.

Anagrams

• selt, slet, stel

Norwegian Nynorsk

Etymology 1

From Old Norse leistr m, from Proto-Germanic *laistaz m (“track, trace; footprint”), from Proto-Indo-European *lóystos, from the root *leys- (“to trace, track”). Akin to English last, Swedish läst, and German Leisten.

Alternative forms

• leist

Noun

lest m (definite singular lesten, indefinite plural lestar, definite plural lestane)

1. a last (a tool in the shape of a human foot, for shaping or preserving the shape of shoes)
2. (clothing) the foot-part of a stocking

Derived terms

• lesta, leste (verb)

Etymology 2

From Old Norse lest f, from either Old English hlæst, Old Frisian hlest, or Middle Low German last. In any case, from Proto-Germanic *hlastuz and Doublet of last m.

Noun

lest m (definite singular lesten, indefinite plural lester or lestar, definite plural lestene or lestane)

1. (historical) An old measure of volume, about 12 to 24 barrels.
2. (historical) An old measure of weight, about half up until a full dozen skippund.
3. (historical, nautical) An old unit of measure on the freight capacity of a ship.

Derived terms

• kommerselest m

Etymology 3

See the etymology of the main entry.

Verb

lest

1. past of låst

Etymology 4

From the verb leiste (“to grow over”).

Noun

lest m (definite singular lesten, indefinite plural lestar, definite plural lestane)

1. straws and grasses that grow close to each other
2. sprouting grasses and grains

References

Anagrams

• selt, stel

Romanian

Etymology

From French lest.

Noun

lest n (plural lesturi)

1. ballast

Declension

English

Etymology

From Middle English lesen, leosen, from Old English *l?osan (found in bel?osan, forl?osan, etc.), from Proto-Germanic *leusan? (“to lose”), from Proto-Indo-European *lewHs- (“to cut; sever; loose; lose”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /li?z/

Verb

lese (third-person singular simple present leses, present participle lesing, simple past lore, past participle lorn)

1. (obsolete) To lose.
2. (obsolete) To destroy.
3. (obsolete) To forsake or abandon.

Anagrams

• EELS, ELEs, Else, Lees, Slee, eels, else, l'ees, lees, seel, sele

Czech

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [?l?s?]
• Rhymes: -?s?
• Hyphenation: le?se

Noun

lese

1. vocative singular of les
2. locative singular of les

Estonian

Noun

lese

1. genitive singular of lesk

Finnish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?lese?/, [?le?s?e?(?)]
• Rhymes: -ese
• Syllabification: le?se

Etymology 1

lestä +? -e

Noun

lese

1. (chiefly used in plural) bran (outside layer of a grain when separated from the grain)

Usage notes

When it still covers the grain, lese is called (jyvän) kuori.

Declension

Etymology 2

Verb

lese

1. Indicative present connegative form of lestä.
2. Second-person singular imperative present form of lestä.
3. Second-person singular imperative present connegative form of lestä.

Galician

Verb

lese

1. first-person singular preterite subjunctive of ler
2. third-person singular preterite subjunctive of ler

German

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?le?z?/

Verb

lese

1. inflection of lesen:
   1. first-person singular present
   2. first/third-person singular subjunctive I

Hungarian

Etymology

les +? -e (possessive suffix)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [?l???]
• Hyphenation: le?se

Noun

lese

1. third-person singular single-possession possessive of les

Declension

Hunsrik

Etymology

From Middle High German lesen, from Old High German lesan, from Proto-Germanic *lesan? (“to gather”), from Proto-Indo-European *les- (“to gather”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?le?s?/

Verb

lese

1. to read

Inflection

Further reading

• Online Hunsrik Dictionary

Italian

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -eze

Verb

lese f pl

1. feminine plural of leso

Adjective

lese

1. feminine plural of leso

Anagrams

• else

Norwegian Bokmål

Etymology

From Old Norse lesa

Verb

lese (imperative les, present tense leser, simple past leste, past participle lest)

1. to read

Derived terms

References

• “lese” in The Bokmål Dictionary.

Norwegian Nynorsk

Participle

lese

1. neuter of lesen

Verb

lese (present tense les, past tense las, supine lese, past participle lesen, present participle lesande, imperative les)

1. alternative form of lesa

Derived terms

References

• “lese” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.

Anagrams

• Else, -else, esel, esle, sele

Pennsylvania German

Etymology

Compare German lesen, Dutch lezen, English lease.

Verb

lese

1. to read
2. to pick up

Conjugation

Piedmontese

Etymology

From Latin leg?.

Verb

lese

1. to read

Portuguese

Verb

lese

1. first-person singular present subjunctive of lesar
2. third-person singular present subjunctive of lesar
3. first-person singular imperative of lesar
4. third-person singular imperative of lesar