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I know that the name Leah is biblical and that it's Hebrew meaning is usually given as "weary" or "gazelle" (or occasionally "cow"). I've also seen it be listed as an English name with the meaning of "meadow" and as an Irish/Scottish one meaning "the light of the sun".
Does anyone know for sure if there actually is a British version of Leah and can anyone verify the meanings?
Thanks!
Does anyone know for sure if there actually is a British version of Leah and can anyone verify the meanings?
Thanks!
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All I know about Leah is from what I read in my bible and it says that it means "delicate" or "weak". It's a description of her eyes.
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=genesis%2029:17&version=NIV
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=genesis%2029:17&version=NIV
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Lea, Lee and Leigh aren't British versions of the biblical Leah. The languages aren't related at all. In Anglo-Saxon the word (not name) leah meant a grassy field or a meadow, and the -h would have been pronounced in a throat-clearing way! But that -h hasn't appeared in English spelling or pronunciation for centuries. So in modern English all the Lee names mean Meadow and the Hebrew name Leah is completely different in its origins. As for the meaning, it's such an ancient name that nobody knows for sure: there could easily have been several names in related languages or dialects with different origins, which might account for the different meanings put forward. As for "weary", it sounds odd to us but in ancient times people sometimes gave their children names with a negative meaning so that others, especially supernatural beings, wouldn't be jealous of the child and harm it.
I don't know about "the light of the sun" in Gaelic, but I'm a bit sceptical.
I don't know about "the light of the sun" in Gaelic, but I'm a bit sceptical.
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I agree about it not being related to Lee and Leigh. Unless it is spelled Lea and used as a variant (pronounced exactly the same). So Lea could be a variant of Lee, Leigh or of Leah. Leah however doesn't have anything to do with Lee.
I think "weary" is a very likely meaning. In the bible Leah has "weary" eyes. However people fight whether the "weary" is to be translated as meaning "bad eyesight" or "ugly". We all know that the biblical Leah wasn't described as an attractive person. Her sister Rachel was the beautiful one.
I think "weary" is a very likely meaning. In the bible Leah has "weary" eyes. However people fight whether the "weary" is to be translated as meaning "bad eyesight" or "ugly". We all know that the biblical Leah wasn't described as an attractive person. Her sister Rachel was the beautiful one.
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NICE EXPLANATION
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