lede

Definition from Wiktionary, a free dictionary

Contents 1 English 1.1 Alternative spellings 1.2 Etymology 1.3 Pronunciation 1.4 Noun 1.4.1 Quotations 1.4.2 Usage notes 1.4.3 Derived terms 1.5 References 2 Italian 2.1 Verb 3 Middle English 3.1 Noun 3.2 Verb 4 Norwegian 4.1 Verb 5 Swedish 5.1 Etymology 5.2 Noun

[edit] English

Wikipedia

[edit] Alternative spellings

• lead

[edit] Etymology

Mid-20th century neologism from a deliberate misspelling of lead (reverting to its archaic, phonetic spelling – cf. Middle English below), intended to avoid confusion with its homograph meaning a strip of type metal used for positioning type in the frame.^[1] Note the pronunciations are already distinct.

[edit] Pronunciation

• enPR: lēd, IPA: /liːd/, SAMPA: /li:d/

[edit] Noun

lede (plural ledes)

1. (US, journalism, slang) The introductory paragraph(s) of a newspaper or other article. (Usage is “customary in many editorial rooms”.)

[edit] Quotations

• For examples of the use of this word see: Citations

[edit] Usage notes

Usage seems mostly confined to the U.S.^[2] Journalistic usage noted as “sometimes spelled” in 1959, “often spelled” in 1969, and asserted in the 1979 reprint of a 1974 book (cf. Citations page below). Jargon not listed in regular dictionaries.^[3][1]

[edit] Derived terms

[edit] References

• William Safire (1990), "On Language; (HED) Folo My Lede (UNHED)", New York Times, November 18, 1990, Nytimes.com
• WOTD (2000), "The Maven's Word of the Day: lede", November 28, 2000, www.randomhouse.com

• Notes:

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} WOTD 2000
2. ^ Current citations are from U.S. sources. The only occurence found in 2008 on The Guardian website is made by the “editor of Guardian America”, saying “The lede (as we spell it) story in today’s NYT is ...” on his op/ed blog. Other occurences on .co.uk sites all quote the lead/lede Wikipedia articles.
3. ^ Safire 1990: "You will not find this spelling in dictionaries; it is still an insiders' variant, steadily growing in frequency of use. [...] Will lede break out of its insider status and find its way into general use? [...] To suggest this is becoming standard would be misledeing"

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[edit] Italian

[edit] Verb

lede

1. third-person singular indicative present of ledere

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[edit] Middle English

[edit] Noun

lede

1. Middle English variant of leod, leed "person; nation; people"
2. Middle English variant of lead, in both senses and pronunciations.

[edit] Verb

lede

1. Middle English variant of lead, in both senses and pronunciations.

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[edit] Norwegian

[edit] Verb

lede (present tense leder; past tense leda/ledet; past participle leda/ledet; present participle ledende; imperative led)

1. To lead

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[edit] Swedish

[edit] Etymology

From a nounal use of the adjective led in the more original synonym “den lede frestaren” (the evil tempter)

[edit] Noun

den lede

1. the evil one, the loathsome or disgusting one; the devil, Satan