Here’s another in our series on the words in this year’s 10 word challenge for Les Nouvelles Chroniques du Don Balleine.
Lis: unfortunately, although lis means lily, Jersey lilies (Amaryllis belladonna) aren’t lis, they’re des belles-toutes-nues. On the other hand, if you’re inspired to include lilies in a literary bouquet, why not?
There are plenty of other lilies which are indeed lis.
- eune femme coumme lé lis et la rose = a beautiful woman
You’ll find lé lis d’eune tabl’ye – the edge of a table, or lé lis d’eune taile – the edge of a sail, so it’s also an edge or rim (the word lisiéthe is related, and there are such strips of land all over the place).
Du lis d’drap is carpeting (as a textile).
Lé lis is also the lee. Au lis du vent is leeward. Au lis, in a more general sense, means under shelter, or taking shelter, or sheltered. Au lis can mean coasting towards the finish, and by extension, up to date.
- il est au lis du vent = he’s well-off
- met-té au lis = take shelter, take cover
Lé lis à tèrre is part of an old plough.
- à lis = in line, lined up
- à lis du but d’la muthâle = in line with the end of the wall