laja

See also: Appendix:Variations of "laja"

Albanian

Verb

laja

1. first-person singular imperfect of laj

Makasar

Etymology

From Old Javanese laja (“galangal”), from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *lajaq (“pepper; to sting, of a wound or spices in food”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈlaɟa/, [ˈla.ɟʝa]
• Hyphenation: la‧ja

Noun

laja (Lontara spelling ᨒᨍ or 𑻮𑻪, definite lajaya)

1. galangal (Alpinia galanga).

   Laja napanaung riganganna

   He put galangal on his vegetables

Compounds

• laja eja

Further reading

• Aburaerah Arief (1995), Kamus Makassar–Indonesia, Ujung Pandang: Yayaan Perguruan Islam Kapita.
• A. A. Cense (2024), Makassaars-Nederlands woordenboek‎^[1], Brill, →DOI

Old Javanese

Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *laqia (“ginger”). Compare Min Nan 辣椒 (loa̍h-chio).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /laja/

Noun

laja

1. galangal

Descendants

• Javanese: ꦭꦲꦺꦴꦱ꧀ (laos, “galangal”)
  • → Indonesian: laos (“galangal”)

Palu'e

Noun

laja

1. blood

Portuguese

Etymology

Derived from Latin lagĕna.

Pronunciation

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈla.ʒɐ/

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /ˈla.ʒɐ/

• Hyphenation: la‧ja

Noun

laja f (plural lajas)

1. alternative form of laje

Further reading

• “laja”, in Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Lisbon: Priberam, 2008–2026

Spanish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈlaxa/ [ˈla.xa]
• Rhymes: -axa
• Syllabification: la‧ja

Etymology 1

Etymology tree

Latin lagĕnader.

Portuguese lajabor.

Spanish laja

Borrowed from Portuguese laja, from Latin lagĕna.

Noun

laja f (plural lajas)

1. slab

   Synonyms: plancha, tabla

Etymology 2

Etymology tree

Proto-Indo-European *(s)leg-der.

Proto-Italic *(s)laksos

Latin laxusder.

Spanish laja

Derived from Latin laxus, from Proto-Italic *(s)laksos, from Proto-Indo-European *(s)leg-.

Noun

laja f (plural lajas)

1. (disused) leash

   Synonym: traílla

Further reading

• “laja”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8.1, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 15 December 2025

Sundanese

Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *laqia (“ginger”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈlad͡ʒa/
• Hyphenation: la‧ja

Noun

laja (Sundanese spelling ᮜᮏ)

1. galangal

Further reading

• "laja" in Maman Sumantri; Atjep Djamaludin; Achmad Patoni; R.H. Moch. Koerdie; M.O. Koesman; Epa Sjafei Adisastra. (1985), Kamus Sunda-Indonesia [Sundanese-Indonesian Dictionary] (in Indonesian), Jakarta: Agency for Language Development and Cultivation – Department of Education and Culture of the Republic of Indonesia
• "LADJA", Coolsma, S (1913), Soendaneesch-Hollandsch Woordenboek (in Dutch), Leiden: A.W. Sijthoff's Uitgeversmaatschappij

Swedish

Etymology

From Tavringer Romani ladjas, lajjas, lajvas (“be ashamed”), from Romani ladž (“shame”). Related to Sanskrit लज्जा (lajjā, “shame”), Hindi लाज (lāj, “shame”). The shift in meaning from ’be ashamed’ to ’have fun’ is probably due to influence from another Romani loan lattja (“have fun”). Related to lajbans (“fun”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /²laja/
• Rhymes: -aja

Verb

laja (present lajar, preterite lajade, supine lajat, imperative laja)

1. (colloquial) to play, to have fun
   • 1995, Olov Svedelid, Piraterna [The Pirates]:

     Men vi kunde inte låta bli att laja lite gangster.

     We couldn’t keep ourselves from playing gangster a little bit.

   • 2011 January 23, “Ungdomar får allt sämre kondition”, in Dagens Nyheter‎^[2]:

     Hur ofta ser man barn laja på gatan i dag?

     How often do you see children playing in the street today?

   • 2015, Johanna Lindbäck, Jan Svensson:

     Killarna på fotbollsplanen hade tagit ena målet och höll på att laja runt.

     The boys on the football field had occupied one of the goals and were playing around.

Conjugation

Conjugation of laja (weak)

	active		passive
infinitive	laja		lajas
supine	lajat		lajats
imperative	laja		—
imper. plural1	lajen		—
	present	past	present	past
indicative	lajar	lajade	lajas	lajades
ind. plural1	laja	lajade	lajas	lajades
subjunctive2	laje	lajade	lajes	lajades
present participle		lajande
past participle		lajad

¹ Archaic. ² Dated. See the appendix on Swedish verbs.

Derived terms

• laja runt

Related terms

• lajbans

References

• Slangopedia