Leet

Leet
This unusual surname is of Anglo-Saxon origin, and is either a topographical name from residence by a leat or watercourse, deriving from the Olde English pre 7th Century "(ge)laet", conduit, trench, or a locational name from any of the minor places named with this word, such as Leat in Devonshire, or The Leete (Essex). Topographical surnames were among the earliest created, since both natural and man-made features in the landscape provided easily recognisable distinguishing names in the small communities of the Middle Ages. Locational names were originally given to local landowners, and the lord of the manor, and especially as a means of identification to those who left their birthplace to settle elsewhere. In 1330, one John atte Lete was recorded in "Place Names of Devonshire", and on August 11th 1594, Joyce Leete and Mark Newcome were married at St. Botolph's, Colchester, Essex. In the modern idiom the name has six spelling variations: Leat(e), Leet(e), Leatt and Leates. A Coat of Arms granted to the Leete family of Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk, is a silver shield with a red fesse between two rolls of matches sable, kindled proper. The match is an unusual charge in heraldry, and was formerly used for firing cannons. A red demi bull issuing, gorged with a chaplet of green laurel, forms the Crest. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of William (Byther)lete, which was dated 1279, witness in the "Assize Court Rolls of Somerset", during the reign of King Edward 1, known as "The Hammer of the Scots", 1272 - 1307. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.

Surnames reference. 2013.

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  • Leet — speak Le Leet speak (en leet speak : 1337 5|*34|<), de l anglais « elite speak » (litt. « langage de l élite »), est une écriture utilisant les caractères alphanumériques ASCII d une manière peu compréhensible pour le… …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Leet — Leet, n. [LL. leta. Cf. F. lit de justice a solemn sitting of the king in Parliament, L. lis, litis, a lawsuit, It., Sp., & Pg. lite.] (Eng. Hist.) A court leet; the district within the jurisdiction of a court leet; the day on which a court leet… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Leet — (l[=e]t), obs. imp. of {Let}, to allow. Chaucer. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Leet — Leet, n. [Cf. AS. hl[=e]t share, lot.] A portion; a list, esp. a list of candidates for an office. [Scot.] [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Leet — Leet, n. [Etymol. uncertain.] (Zo[ o]l.) The European pollock. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • leet — /leet/, n. Brit. Obs. 1. a special annual or semiannual court in which the lords of certain manors had jurisdiction over local disputes. 2. the area over which this jurisdiction extended, including the manor itself and, sometimes, nearby counties …   Universalium

  • leet — UK [liːt] / US or leetspeak UK / US noun [uncountable] computing informal a form of written English used for example in chatrooms in which letters are replaced by numbers or other symbols …   English dictionary

  • leet — [lēt] n. [ME & Anglo Fr lete, akin ? to OE læth, land division, esp. in southeast England] Historical in England, a manorial court or its jurisdiction …   English World dictionary

  • Leet — For other uses, see Leet (disambiguation). One way to write the word Wikipedia in Leet Leet (or 1337 ), als …   Wikipedia

  • Leet — Калифорнийский автомобильный номер на Leet: T3h1337 (Teh Leet) Leet (1337)  распространившийся в Интернете стиль употребления английского языка. Основные отличия  замена латинских букв на похожие цифры и символы, имитация и …   Википедия

  • Leet — Dieser Artikel oder Abschnitt bedarf einer Überarbeitung. Näheres ist auf der Diskussionsseite angegeben. Hilf mit, ihn zu verbessern, und entferne anschließend diese Markierung. Leetspeak [ˈliːtspiːk] (auch Leetspeek; von engl. elite, „Elite“)… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

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