Flines-lès-Mortagne (Nord, Fr) city limit sign

The word ''lès'' (, and with

liaison Liaison means communication between two or more groups, or co-operation or working together. Liaison or liaisons may refer to: General usage * Affair, an unfaithful sexual relationship * Collaboration * Co-operation Arts and entertainment * Li ...

) is an archaic French

preposition Prepositions and postpositions, together called adpositions (or broadly, in traditional grammar, simply prepositions), are a class of words used to express spatial or temporal relations (''in'', ''under'', ''towards'', ''before'') or mark various ...

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

definite article 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" and "a(n)" ar ...

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

Etymology

The word ''lès'' and its variants derive from

late Latin Late Latin ( la, Latinitas serior) is the scholarly name for the form of Literary Latin of late antiquity.Roberts (1996), p. 537. English dictionary definitions of Late Latin date this period from the , and continuing into the 7th century in t ...

''latus'', "side".

Examples

Lès

Villeneuve-lès-Avignon Villeneuve-lès-Avignon (; Provençal: ''Vilanòva d’Avinhon'') is a commune in the Gard department in southern France. It can also be spelled ''Villeneuve-lez-Avignon''. History In the 6th century the Benedictine abbey of St André was foun ...

, near

Avignon Avignon (, ; ; oc, Avinhon, label=Provençal dialect, Provençal or , ; la, Avenio) is the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Vaucluse Departments of France, department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Regions of France, region of So ...

Beaumont-lès-Valence Beaumont-lès-Valence (, literally ''Beaumont near Valence''; oc, Bèumont de Valença) is a commune in the Drôme department in southeastern France. Population See also *Communes of the Drôme department The following is a list of the 36 ...

, near Valence *

Saint-Rémy-lès-Chevreuse Saint-Rémy-lès-Chevreuse (, literally ''Saint-Rémy near Chevreuse'') is a commune in the Yvelines department, in the Île-de-France region of north-central France. Saint-Rémy-lès-Chevreuse station is the southwestern endpoint of the RER ...

, near

Chevreuse Chevreuse () is a commune in the French department of Yvelines, administrative region of Île-de-France, north-central France. Geography Chevreuse is located south of Paris, in the middle of a regional natural park, Parc naturel régional de l ...

Margny-lès-Compiègne Margny-lès-Compiègne (, literally ''Margny near Compiègne'') is a commune in the Oise department in northern France. Population See also * Communes of the Oise department The following is a list of the 679 communes of the Oise department ...

, near

Compiègne Compiègne (; pcd, Compiène) is a commune in the Oise department in northern France. It is located on the river Oise. Its inhabitants are called ''Compiégnois''. Administration Compiègne is the seat of two cantons: * Compiègne-1 (with 19 ...

Asnières-lès-Dijon Asnières-lès-Dijon (, literally ''Asnières near Dijon'') is a commune in the Côte-d'Or department in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region of eastern France. The inhabitants of the commune are known as ''Asniérois'' or ''Asniéroises''. Geog ...

, near

Dijon Dijon (, , ) (dated) * it, Digione * la, Diviō or * lmo, Digion is the prefecture of the Côte-d'Or department and of the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region in northeastern France. the commune had a population of 156,920. The earlies ...

Fontaine-lès-Dijon Fontaine-lès-Dijon () is a commune in the Côte-d'Or department in eastern France. It is known for the Couvent et Basilique Saint-Bernard, a collection of buildings on the site of the birthplace of Saint Bernard of Clairvaux. Population Se ...

, near

* Hauteville-lès-Dijon, near

Neuilly-lès-Dijon Neuilly-lès-Dijon (, literally ''Neuilly near Dijon'') is a former commune in the Côte-d'Or department in eastern France. On 28 February 2019, it was merged into the new commune Neuilly-Crimolois.Dijon Dijon (, , ) (dated) * it, Digione * la, Diviō or * lmo, Digion is the prefecture of the Côte-d'Or department and of the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region in northeastern France. the commune had a population of 156,920. The earlies ...

Perrigny-lès-Dijon Perrigny-lès-Dijon (, literally ''Perrigny near Dijon'') is a commune in the Côte-d'Or department in eastern France. Population See also *Communes of the Côte-d'Or department The following is a list of the 698 communes of the Côte-d'Or ...

, near

Plombières-lès-Dijon Plombières-lès-Dijon (, literally ''Plombières near Dijon'') is a commune in the Côte-d'Or department in eastern France. Population Personalities *Chantal Sébire, teacher and euthanasia activist * Paillet, Julien (de Plombières), 1771- ...

, near

Sennecey-lès-Dijon Sennecey-lès-Dijon (, literally ''Sennecey near Dijon'') is a commune in the Côte-d'Or department in eastern France. Population See also *Communes of the Côte-d'Or department The following is a list of the 698 communes of the Côte-d'Or ...

, near

Garges-lès-Gonesse Garges-lès-Gonesse (, literally ''Garges near Gonesse'') is a commune in the Val-d'Oise department in northern France. It is located in the northern suburbs of Paris, from the center of Paris. The city is a part of the Paris urban area. It is ...

, near

Gonesse Gonesse () is a commune in the Val-d'Oise department, in the north-eastern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the centre of Paris. The commune lies immediately north of Le Bourget Airport, and it is six kilometres (four miles) south- ...

Bonchamp-lès-Laval Bonchamp-lès-Laval (, literally ''Bonchamp near Laval'') is a commune in the Mayenne department in northwestern France. Population See also *Communes of Mayenne The following is a list of the 240 communes of the Mayenne department of Fr ...

, near Laval *

Fontaine-lès-Luxeuil Fontaine-lès-Luxeuil is a commune in the Haute-Saône department in the region of Bourgogne-Franche-Comté in eastern France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also ...

, near

Luxeuil-les-Bains Luxeuil-les-Bains () is a commune in the Haute-Saône department in the region of Bourgogne-Franche-Comté in eastern France. History Luxeuil (sometimes rendered Luxeu in older texts) was the Roman Luxovium and contained many fine buildings a ...

Sainte-Foy-lès-Lyon Sainte-Foy-lès-Lyon (, literally ''Sainte-Foy near Lyon'') is a commune in the Metropolis of Lyon in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region in eastern France. Geography It is a suburb of the city of Lyon, located to the west of the city. It is locate ...

, near

Lyon Lyon,, ; Occitan: ''Lion'', hist. ''Lionés'' also spelled in English as Lyons, is the third-largest city and second-largest metropolitan area of France. It is located at the confluence of the rivers Rhône and Saône, to the northwest of t ...

Montigny-lès-Metz Montigny-lès-Metz (, literally ''Montigny near Metz''; , (1940-1944) ''Montenich'') is a commune in the Moselle department in Grand Est in north-eastern France. It is the largest suburb of the city of Metz, and is adjacent to it on the west. ...

, near

Metz Metz ( , , lat, Divodurum Mediomatricorum, then ) is a city in northeast France located at the confluence of the Moselle and the Seille rivers. Metz is the prefecture of the Moselle department and the seat of the parliament of the Grand E ...

* Saint-Julien-lès-Metz, near

* Flines-lès-Mortagne, near Mortagne-du-Nord * Essey-lès-Nancy, near Nancy *

Vandœuvre-lès-Nancy Vandœuvre-lès-Nancy (, literally ''Vandœuvre near Nancy'') is a commune in the Meurthe-et-Moselle department in north-eastern France. Its inhabitants are called ''Vandopériens''. Geography With 29,942 inhabitants (2019), Vandœuvre is the ...

, near Nancy * Saulxures-lès-Nancy, near Nancy * Villers-lès-Nancy, near Nancy *

Déville-lès-Rouen Déville-lès-Rouen (, literally ''Déville near Rouen'') is a commune in the Seine-Maritime department of the Normandy region in north-western France. Geography A suburban light industrial town situated by the banks of the Cailly, some northwe ...

, near

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

Sotteville-lès-Rouen Sotteville-lès-Rouen (, literally ''Sotteville near Rouen'') is a commune and railway town in the Seine-Maritime department in the Normandy region in northern France. Geography It is the largest suburb of the city of Rouen and adjacent to it, ...

, near

Nieul-lès-Saintes Nieul-lès-Saintes (, literally ''Nieul near Saintes'') is a commune in the Charente-Maritime department in southwestern France. Population See also * Communes of the Charente-Maritime department The following is a list of the 463 commun ...

, near Saintes *

Chambray-lès-Tours Chambray-lès-Tours (, literally ''Chambray Lès, near Tours'') is a Communes of France, commune in the Indre-et-Loire Departments of France, department, central France. It is the birthplace of professional association football, footballer Adam Ou ...

, near

Tours Tours ( , ) is one of the largest cities in the region of Centre-Val de Loire, France. It is the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Departments of France, department of Indre-et-Loire. The Communes of France, commune of Tours had 136,463 ...

Joué-lès-Tours Joué-lès-Tours (, literally ''Joué near Tours'') is a commune in the Indre-et-Loire department in central France. It is the largest suburb of the city of Tours, and is adjacent to it on the southwest. Population Toponymy The name of Jou� ...

, near

Saint-Martin-lès-Seyne Saint-Martin-lès-Seyne (, literally ''Saint-Martin near Seyne''; Vivaro-Alpine: ''Sant Martin de Sèina'') is a commune in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department in southeastern France. With 13 inhabitants (as of 2019), it is the second least ...

, near

Seyne Seyne (; Vivaro-Alpine: ''Sèina'') is a commune in Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, a department of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in south-east France. It is roughly 30 km north of Digne. The village's official name is listed under the ...

* Bourg-lès-Valence, near Valence *

Béning-lès-Saint-Avold Béning-lès-Saint-Avold (, literally ''Béning near Saint-Avold''; ) is a commune in the Moselle department in Grand Est in northeastern France. Population See also * Communes of the Moselle department The following is a list of the 725 c ...

, near

Saint-Avold Saint-Avold (; ; Lorraine Franconian: ''Sänt Avuur'') is a commune in the Moselle department in Grand Est in north-eastern France. It is situated twenty-eight miles (45 km) east of Metz, France and seventeen miles (27 km) southwest o ...

Savigny-lès-Beaune Savigny-lès-Beaune (, literally ''Savigny near Beaune'') is a commune in the Côte-d'Or department in eastern France.Beaune Beaune () is the wine capital of Burgundy in the Côte d'Or department in eastern France. It is located between Lyon and Dijon. Beaune is one of the key wine centers in France, and the center of Burgundy wine production and business. The annua ...

* …

Lez

Auchy-lez-Orchies Auchy-lez-Orchies is a Communes of the Nord department, commune in the Nord (French department), Nord Departments of France, department in northern France. Population Heraldry See also *Communes of the Nord department References

Co ...

, near

Orchies Orchies (; nl, Oorschie) is a commune in the department of Nord in the Hauts-de-France region of northern France. Orchies is the biggest town of the Pévèle. It is especially known for its ''Musée de la chicorée'', the museum of chicory. ...

Aulnoy-lez-Valenciennes Aulnoy-lez-Valenciennes (, literally ''Aulnoy near Valenciennes''; pcd, Auno) is a commune in the Nord department in northern France. Population Heraldry See also *Communes of the Nord department The following is a list of the 648 commu ...

, near

Valenciennes Valenciennes (, also , , ; nl, label=also Dutch, Valencijn; pcd, Valincyinnes or ; la, Valentianae) is a commune in the Nord department, Hauts-de-France, France. It lies on the Scheldt () river. Although the city and region experienced a s ...

* Bougy-lez-Neuville, near

Neuville-aux-Bois Neuville-aux-Bois () is a commune in the Loiret department in north-central France. Notable people * Damien Plessis, footballer See also * Communes of the Loiret department The following is the list of the 325 communes of the Loiret depart ...

* Bruille-lez-Marchiennes, near

Marchiennes Marchiennes () is a commune in the Nord department in northern France. It was fictionally portrayed in Émile Zola's Germinal. Heraldry See also *Communes of the Nord department The following is a list of the 648 communes of the Nord dep ...

Flines-lez-Raches Flines-lez-Raches (, literally ''Flines near Raches'') is a commune in the Nord department in northern France. It was once the site of Flines Abbey. Population Heraldry See also *Communes of the Nord department The following is a list of ...

, near Râches * Hallennes-lez-Haubourdin, near

Haubourdin Haubourdin () is a commune in the Nord department in northern France. It is part of the Métropole Européenne de Lille. Population Heraldry See also *Communes of the Nord department The following is a list of the 648 communes of the Nord ...

* Houdain-lez-Bavay, near

Bavay Bavay () is a commune in the Nord department in the Hauts-de-France region of northern France. The town was the seat of the former canton of Bavay. The inhabitants of the commune are known as ''Bavaisiens'' or ''Bavaisiennes'' Geography Bava ...

* Lambres-lez-Douai, near

Douai Douai (, , ,; pcd, Doï; nl, Dowaai; formerly spelled Douay or Doway in English) is a city in the Nord département in northern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department. Located on the river Scarpe some from Lille and from Arras, Dou ...

Lys-lez-Lannoy Lys-lez-Lannoy (, literally ''Lys near Lannoy''; West Flemish: ''Lis by Lannoy'') is a commune in the Nord department in northern France. It is part of the Métropole Européenne de Lille. Population Heraldry See also *Communes of the Nord ...

, near Lannoy *

Marquette-lez-Lille Marquette-lez-Lille (, literally ''Marquette near Lille''; Dutch: ''Market(t)e'') is a commune in the Nord department in northern France. It is part of the Métropole Européenne de Lille. Population Monuments * Grands Moulins de Paris Her ...

, near

Lille Lille ( , ; nl, Rijsel ; pcd, Lile; vls, Rysel) is a city in the northern part of France, in French Flanders. On the river Deûle, near France's border with Belgium, it is the capital of the Hauts-de-France Regions of France, region, the Pref ...

* Mézières-lez-Cléry, near Cléry *

Nissan-lez-Enserune Nissan-lez-Enserune (; oc, Nissa d'Ausseruna, link=no, ), also spelled Nissan-lez-Ensérune, is a French commune in the department of Hérault, region of Occitania, situated just south of Béziers. Its inhabitants are called the Nissanais. G ...

, near Enserune * Poilly-lez-Gien, near

Gien Gien () is a commune in the Loiret department in north-central France. Gien is on the river Loire, from Orléans. Gien station has rail connections to Montargis, Nevers and Paris. The town was bought for the royal domain by Philip II of Fran ...

Sailly-lez-Cambrai Sailly-lez-Cambrai is a commune in the Nord department in northern France. Heraldry See also *Communes of the Nord department The following is a list of the 648 communes of the Nord department of the French Republic. The communes coopera ...

, near

Cambrai Cambrai (, ; pcd, Kimbré; nl, Kamerijk), formerly Cambray and historically in English Camerick or Camericke, is a city in the Nord (French department), Nord Departments of France, department and in the Hauts-de-France Regions of France, regio ...

* Sailly-lez-Lannoy, near Lannoy *

Saint-André-lez-Lille Saint-André-lez-Lille (, literally ''Saint-André near Lille''; Dutch: ''Sint-Andries'' or ''Sint-Andries-Rijsel'') is a commune in the Nord department in northern France. It is part of the Métropole Européenne de Lille. Population Heraldr ...

, near

Saint-Hilaire-lez-Cambrai Saint-Hilaire-lez-Cambrai (, literally ''Saint-Hilaire near Cambrai'') is a commune in the Nord department in northern France. Heraldry French sartorial heritage The city was a pivotal center of mulquinerie See also *Communes of the Nord de ...

, near

* Tilloy-lez-Cambrai, near

Tilloy-lez-Marchiennes Tilloy-lez-Marchiennes (, literally ''Tilloy near Marchiennes'') is a commune in the Nord department in the Hauts-de-France region, Northern France. In 2018, it had a population of 516. History In March 2020, Marie Cau won a majority of votes ...

, near

* Villy-lez-Falaise, near

Falaise Falaise may refer to: Places * Falaise, Ardennes, France * Falaise, Calvados, France ** The Falaise pocket was the site of a battle in the Second World War * La Falaise, in the Yvelines ''département'', France * The Falaise escarpment in Quebe ...

* …

Les

Avesnes-les-Aubert Avesnes-les-Aubert () is a commune in the Nord department in northern France. Population Heraldry See also *Communes of the Nord department The following is a list of the 648 communes of the Nord department of the French Republic. Th ...

, near

Aubert This surname has Anglo-Saxon pre-8th century origins; spelling variations include Albert, Albertson and Alberts in English names. It is derived from the Old German compound 'Aedelbeort' meaning 'noble-bright'. However, many sources show it as a Fren ...

Châteauneuf-les-Martigues Châteauneuf-les-Martigues (; oc, Castèunòu dau Martegue) is a commune in the Bouches-du-Rhône department in southern France. The La Mède refinery is nearby and has been in operation since 1935. Population See also * Étang de Berre * ...

, near

Martigues Martigues ( in classical norm, ''Lou Martegue'' in Mistralian norm) is a commune northwest of Marseille. It is part of the Bouches-du-Rhône department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region on the eastern end of the Canal de Caronte. A di ...

Chorey-les-Beaune Chorey-les-Beaune (, literally ''Chorey near Beaune'') is a commune in the Côte-d'Or department in eastern France. It lies northeast of the city of Beaune on the plain of the Saône just to the east of the A31 autoroute. Population Wine ...

, near

Beaune Beaune () is the wine capital of Burgundy in the Côte d'Or department in eastern France. It is located between Lyon and Dijon. Beaune is one of the key wine centers in France, and the center of Burgundy wine production and business. The annua ...

* La Queue-les-Yvelines, near (the historical region of)

Yvelines Yvelines () is a department in the western part of the Île-de-France region in Northern France. In 2019, it had a population of 1,448,207.Villars-les-Dombes Villars-les-Dombes (, literally ''Villars near Dombes'') is a commune in the Ain department in eastern France. Its people are known as ''Villardois''. Geography The town is located within Ain, half-way between Lyon (33 km) and Bourg-en-B ...

, near

Dombes The Dombes (; Arpitan: Domba) is an area in eastern France, once an independent municipality, formerly part of the province of Burgundy, and now a district comprised in the department of Ain, and bounded on the west by the Saône River, on th ...

References

{{Reflist Toponymy