ледзьве
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Belarusian
Alternative forms
Etymology
Most likely borrowed from Polish ledwie or otherwise derived from it via Old Ruthenian, given the characteristically West Slavic onset le- (compare Czech and Slovak ledva) as opposed to expected East Slavic je- (compare Russian едва́ (jedvá)), ultimately from Proto-Slavic *(j)edъva. Cognates include Ukrainian ле́две (lédve).
Pronunciation
Adverb
ле́дзьве • (ljédzʹvje)
- difficultly, hardly, with great difficulty, barely
- Synonym: насі́лу (nasílu)
- ле́дзьве стрыма́ўся ― ljédzʹvje strymáŭsja ― barely restrained himself
- ён ле́дзьве падня́ў кош ― jon ljédzʹvje padnjáŭ koš ― he barely lifted the basket
- ле́дзьве но́гі но́сяць ― ljédzʹvje nóhi nósjacʹ ― the legs barely carry themselves
- (colloquial, in the negative with не (nje)) almost, nearly
Derived terms
- ледзь (ljedzʹ)
- ледзьве-ледзьве (ljedzʹvje-ljedzʹvje)
References
- “ледзьве”, in Skarnik's Belarusian dictionary (in Belarusian), based on Kandrat Krapiva's Explanatory Dictionary of the Belarusian Language (1977-1984)
- “ледзьве” in Belarusian–Russian dictionaries and Belarusian dictionaries at slounik.org