Lege

Lege is a term that appears in several languages with distinct meanings, and it does not have a single universal definition. Its sense depends on the linguistic and contextual setting in which it is used.

In Romanian, lege is a common noun meaning “law.” It is widely used in legal and political contexts, from statutes to public discourse. The definite form legea means “the law,” as in Legea României, and the plural legi refers to multiple laws.

In German, lege is a verb form of legen, meaning “to lay” or “to place.” The first-person singular present tense is ich lege, meaning “I lay.” The imperative for the du form is lege!, meaning “lay!” This form is typically found within sentences rather than as a standalone command.

Some related cognates appear in other Romance languages with similar semantic fields, such as Italian legge meaning “law,” which reflects a shared root in the broader family of words related to law and placing. The orthography differs (for example, legge in Italian vs. lege in Romanian), illustrating how languages branch from common ancestral terms while evolving distinct spellings.

Because of its different meanings across languages, the interpretation of “lege” hinges on capitalization, language, and context. There is no single, unified definition of the term that spans all languages, but in Romanian and German contexts it has well-defined, established senses.