baix

Baix is a Catalan term meaning “low” or “lower.” In the language, it functions as an adjective describing height, position, or rank relative to something described as alta (high). The form baix appears in a variety of everyday and formal expressions, and it is related to the verb baixar, meaning to lower or to download, among other derivatives such as baixada (descent).

In toponymy, baix is commonly used to indicate a lower part of a region or valley and is found in the names of several Catalan-speaking administrative divisions. Examples include Baix Llobregat (Lower Llobregat) in Catalonia, Baix Camp in the Tarragona region, and Baix Maestrat (Lower Maestrat) in the Valencian Community. In such case, the capitalization of Baix marks its status as part of a proper place name rather than a common adjective.

Beyond geography, baix exists as a component in many ordinary phrases and compound terms in Catalan. It can appear in historical or dialectal references to the lower parts of landscapes, and it participates in the formation of related nouns and verbs through standard Romance-language morphology, such as baixada or baixar.

Origins of the word trace back to the Romance language family, with cognates across related languages that describe downward position or reduced height. In contemporary Catalan, baix remains a versatile lexeme used in both descriptive and geographic contexts, reflecting how language encodes spatial relationships in place names and everyday speech.