Leize

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title: "Leize" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["place-name-element-etymologies", "hydronymy", "prefixes"] topic_path: "general/place-name-element-etymologies" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leize" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

Leize is a widespread hydronymic root meaning 'pit', or 'ravine'. It appears in modern Basque dictionaries as leze 'cave'.

It may be found at the origin of river or place names as:

Rivers and valleys

• the Leitzaran (from Leize Haran 'valley of the Leize'), a river from Leitza in Navarre
• the Léez, a left tributary of the Adour
• the Léès, a right tributary of the Léez
• the Leze, a river flowing through a cave in Araia
• the Lèze, a left tributary of the Ariège
• the Lèze and the Lezà, two small tributaries of the Baïse de Lasseube
• the Lez (river), a coastal river in Hérault
• the Lez (Salat), a left tributary of the Salat (Ariège)
• the Lez (Rhône), a left tributary of the Rhône
• the Leza,
• the Lezo, in La Rioja, Spain
• the Lizonne or Nizonne, a tributary of the Dronne (Dordogne basin)
• the Lizou, a tributary of the Arcis (Adour basin)
• the Lis or Lys, a left tributary of the Échez (Adour basin)
• the Lis or Lys, a right tributary of the Bouès (Adour basin)
• the Lis Circus where the ski resort of Cauterets is located.
• the Lis Valley near Luchon in the Pyrenees.
• the Lys, a left tributary of the Layon (Anjou).

On the other hand, the Lys or Leie is based on another root, the Gaulish word liga 'silt'.

Municipalities

• Lées-Athas, commune of the Aspe Valley (Pyrénées-Atlantiques)
• Les, municipality of the Val d'Aran.
• Lez, commune of Haute-Garonne
• Lez, former commune of Aveyron, today integrated into Taussac
• Lez, village of the commune of Saint-Béat in Haute-Garonne.
• Lys, commune of Pyrénées-Atlantiques
• Saint-Lys (ex Saint-Nicolas de Lys), commune in the southwest of Toulouse.
• Leizpartz, a hamlet of Saint-Étienne-de-Baïgorry

Antroponyms

• Lexeia, an antiquated Aquitanian and Basque female name, for example, documentary film director, Lexeia Larrañaga de Val.

References

References

1. Morvan, Michael. "Etymological Basque Dictionary". Project Babel.

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