The word ''lès'' (, and with liaison) is an archaic French preposition meaning "near", "next to". Today it occurs only in place names to distinguish places with the same name. The word ''lès'' has two variants: ''lez'' and ''les''. The latter should not be confused with the plural

definite article In grammar, an article is any member of a class of dedicated words that are used with noun phrases to mark the identifiability of the referents of the noun phrases. The category of articles constitutes a part of speech. In English, both "the" ...

''les'' (e.g. ''les-Bains'', "the Baths").

Etymology

The word ''lès'' and its variants derive from late Latin ''latus'', "side". The preposition is not used anymore in French, but remains still nowadays in other Langues d'oïl such as the Walloon language with ''dilé'' (close to) and ''adlé'' (among).

Examples

Lès

* Villeneuve-lès-Avignon, near Avignon * Beaumont-lès-Valence, near Valence * Saint-Rémy-lès-Chevreuse, near Chevreuse * Margny-lès-Compiègne, near Compiègne * Asnières-lès-Dijon, near Dijon * Fontaine-lès-Dijon, near Dijon * Hauteville-lès-Dijon, near Dijon * Neuilly-lès-Dijon, near Dijon * Perrigny-lès-Dijon, near Dijon * Plombières-lès-Dijon, near Dijon * Sennecey-lès-Dijon, near Dijon * Garges-lès-Gonesse, near Gonesse * Bonchamp-lès-Laval, near Laval * Fontaine-lès-Luxeuil, near Luxeuil-les-Bains * Sainte-Foy-lès-Lyon, near

Lyon Lyon (Franco-Provençal: ''Liyon'') is a city in France. It is located at the confluence of the rivers Rhône and Saône, to the northwest of the French Alps, southeast of Paris, north of Marseille, southwest of Geneva, Switzerland, north ...

* Montigny-lès-Metz, near

Metz Metz ( , , , then ) is a city in northeast France located at the confluence of the Moselle (river), Moselle and the Seille (Moselle), Seille rivers. Metz is the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Moselle (department), Moselle Departments ...

* Saint-Julien-lès-Metz, near

* Flines-lès-Mortagne, near Mortagne-du-Nord * Essey-lès-Nancy, near Nancy * Vandœuvre-lès-Nancy, near Nancy * Saulxures-lès-Nancy, near Nancy * Villers-lès-Nancy, near Nancy * Déville-lès-Rouen, near

Rouen Rouen (, ; or ) is a city on the River Seine, in northwestern France. It is in the prefecture of Regions of France, region of Normandy (administrative region), Normandy and the Departments of France, department of Seine-Maritime. Formerly one ...

* Sotteville-lès-Rouen, near

* Nieul-lès-Saintes, near Saintes * Chambray-lès-Tours, near Tours * Joué-lès-Tours, near Tours * Saint-Martin-lès-Seyne, near Seyne * Bourg-lès-Valence, near Valence * Béning-lès-Saint-Avold, near Saint-Avold * Savigny-lès-Beaune, near Beaune * …

Lez

Auchy-lez-Orchies Auchy-lez-Orchies (, literally ''Auchy near Orchies'') is a commune in the Nord department in northern France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regio ...

, near Orchies * Aulnoy-lez-Valenciennes, near Valenciennes * Bougy-lez-Neuville, near Neuville-aux-Bois * Bruille-lez-Marchiennes, near Marchiennes * Flines-lez-Raches, near Râches * Hallennes-lez-Haubourdin, near Haubourdin * Houdain-lez-Bavay, near Bavay * Lambres-lez-Douai, near Douai * Lys-lez-Lannoy, near Lannoy * Marquette-lez-Lille, near Lille * Mézières-lez-Cléry, near Cléry * Nissan-lez-Enserune, near Enserune * Poilly-lez-Gien, near Gien * Sailly-lez-Cambrai, near Cambrai * Sailly-lez-Lannoy, near Lannoy * Saint-André-lez-Lille, near Lille * Saint-Hilaire-lez-Cambrai, near Cambrai * Tilloy-lez-Cambrai, near Cambrai * Tilloy-lez-Marchiennes, near Marchiennes * Villy-lez-Falaise, near Falaise * …

Les

* Avesnes-les-Aubert, near Aubert * Châteauneuf-les-Martigues, near Martigues * Chorey-les-Beaune, near Beaune * La Queue-les-Yvelines, near (the historical region of) Yvelines * Villars-les-Dombes, near Dombes

References

{{Reflist Toponymy