Laguna Beach, city, Orange county, southwestern California, U.S. Lying along the Pacific Ocean, Laguna Beach is about 50 miles (80 km) south of Los Angeles. Part of the Mexican land grant (1837) called Rancho San Joaquin, it was named Lagona, a corruption of the Spanish word meaning “lagoon,” for

fire finch, any of several red-and-brown or red-and-black birds of Africa that usually have fine white dots on their undersides. Fire finches belong to the family Estrildidae (order Passeriformes). Perhaps the commonest and tamest bird in Africa is the 8-centimetre (3-inch) red-billed, or Senegal,

lagoon, area of relatively shallow, quiet water situated in a coastal environment and having access to the sea but separated from the open marine conditions by a barrier. The barrier may be either a sandy or shingly wave-built feature (such as a sandbar or a barrier island), or it may be a coral

wastewater treatment: Oxidation pond: Oxidation ponds, also called lagoons or stabilization ponds, are large, shallow ponds designed to treat wastewater through the interaction of sunlight, bacteria, and algae. Algae grow using energy from the sun and carbon dioxide and inorganic compounds released by bacteria in water. During…

hazardous-waste management: Surface storage and land disposal: …or holding pond, called a lagoon. New lagoons must be lined with impervious clay soils and flexible membrane liners in order to protect groundwater. Leachate collection systems must be installed between the liners, and groundwater monitoring wells are required. Except for some sedimentation, evaporation of volatile organics, and possibly some…

Patos Lagoon, shallow lagoon in Rio Grande do Sul estado (state), extreme southeastern Brazil. It is the largest lagoon in Brazil and the second largest in South America. The lagoon is 180 miles (290 km) long and up to 40 miles (64 km) wide, with an area of more than 3,900 square miles (10,100

Lagoon Nebula, (catalog numbers NGC 6523 and M8), ionized-hydrogen region located in the constellation Sagittarius at 1,250 parsecs (4,080 light-years) from the solar system. The nebula is a cloud of interstellar gas and dust approximately 10 parsecs (33 light-years) in diameter. A group of young,

Janet Frame: …a patient, Frame’s first book, The Lagoon, was published. A collection of short stories, it expresses the sense of isolation and insecurity of those who feel they do not fit into a normal world. She was scheduled to have a lobotomy until hospital officials learned that she had won a…

ptarmigan, any of three or four species of partridgelike grouse of cold regions, belonging to the genus Lagopus of the grouse family, Tetraonidae. They undergo seasonal changes of plumage, from white against winter snowfields to gray or brown, with barring, in spring and summer against tundra

ptarmigan: Also distributed circumpolarly is the willow ptarmigan, or willow grouse (L. lagopus), a more northerly bird of lowlands. On Rocky Mountain tundra south to New Mexico is the white-tailed ptarmigan.

ptarmigan: …to New Mexico is the white-tailed ptarmigan.

ptarmigan: The common ptarmigan (L. mutus) ranges in the British Isles, Europe, and North America, where it is called rock ptarmigan. Also distributed circumpolarly is the willow ptarmigan, or willow grouse (L. lagopus), a more northerly bird of lowlands. On Rocky Mountain tundra south to New Mexico…

wallaby: …species of hare wallabies (Lagorchestes) are small animals that have the movements and some of the habits of hares. Often called pademelons, the three species of scrub wallabies (Thylogale) of New Guinea, the Bismarck Archipelago, and Tasmania are small and stocky, with short hind limbs and pointy noses. They…

Lagos, city and chief port, Lagos state, Nigeria. Until 1975 it was the capital of Lagos state, and until December 1991 it was the federal capital of Nigeria. Ikeja replaced Lagos as the state capital, and Abuja replaced Lagos as the federal capital. Lagos, however, remained the unofficial seat of

Lagos, state, southwestern Nigeria, on the coast of the Bight of Benin. It is bounded by the state of Ogun to the north and east, by the Bight of Benin to the south, and by the Republic of Benin to the west. From 1914 to 1954 the area included in the state was administered by the British as part of

ebony: …and hard heartwood known as black ebony, as billetwood, or as Gabon, Lagos, Calabar, or Niger ebony.

Lagos: …city’s population is centred on Lagos Island, in Lagos Lagoon, on the Bight of Benin in the Gulf of Guinea. Lagos is Nigeria’s largest city and one of the largest in sub-Saharan Africa.

Celosia: Lagos spinach, or silver cockscomb (C. argentea), is an important food crop in West Africa, where it is grown for its nutritious leafy greens.

Ricardo Lagos is a Chilean economist and politician who served as president of Chile (2000–06). Lagos earned a law degree from the University of Chile in 1960 and then attended Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, U.S., where he received a Ph.D. in economics in 1966. Lagos returned to Chile

Nigeria: Education: …University) in the north; and University of Lagos (1962) in the south. In the 1970s and ’80s the government attempted to found a university in every state, but, with the ever-increasing number of states, this practice was abandoned. Numerous federal and state universities have since been established, especially during the…

viscacha: The plains viscacha (Lagostomus maximus) lives on sparse grasslands, or Pampas, in Argentina, Paraguay, and southeastern Bolivia at altitudes up to nearly 3,000 metres. It resembles a huge guinea pig, with a large, blunt head, a body length of 47 to 66 cm, and a short…

dinosaur: Dinosaur ancestors: …South America; these include Lagerpeton, Lagosuchus, Pseudolagosuchus, and Lewisuchus. Other forms, such as Nyasasaurus and Asilisaurus, date from the Middle Triassic of East Africa; Nyasasaurus is considered by some to be the oldest known member of Dinosauria. Other South American forms such as Eoraptor and Herrerasaurus are particularly dinosaurian in

woolly monkey: The common, or Humboldt’s, woolly monkeys (Lagothrix lagotricha and related species) have short fur that, depending on the species, is tan, gray, reddish, or black; some have darker heads. The head itself is large and round, with a bare black or brown face. Their bodies are…

calicivirus: Caliciviridae contains four genera: Lagovirus, Vesivirus, Sapovirus, and Norovirus (Norwalk-like viruses). Type species of this family include Vesicular exanthema of swine virus, Norwalk virus, and Sapporo virus. Species of Norovirus frequently give rise to outbreaks of foodborne and waterborne

LaGrange, city, seat (1828) of Troup county, western Georgia, U.S. It lies just east of West Point Lake (impounded on the Chattahoochee River), about 50 miles (80 km) north of Columbus. The site was settled in 1826, and the town soon developed as an important trading center in a cotton-growing

celestial mechanics: Perturbations of elliptical motion: …equations are sometimes called the Lagrange planetary equations after their derivation by the great Italian-French mathematician Joseph-Louis Lagrange (1736–1813). As long as the forces are conservative and do not depend on the velocities—i.e., there is no loss of mechanical energy through such processes as friction—they can be derived from partial…

Lagrange point, in astronomy, a point in space at which a small body, under the gravitational influence of two large ones, will remain approximately at rest relative to them. In any two-body system, there are five Lagrange points numbered L1 to L5. At these points, the gravitational pull exerted by

mechanics: Lagrange’s and Hamilton’s equations: Elegant and powerful methods have also been devised for solving dynamic problems with constraints. One of the best known is called Lagrange’s equations. The Lagrangian L is defined as L = T − V, where T is the kinetic energy and…

Lagrange’s four-square theorem, in number theory, theorem that every positive integer can be expressed as the sum of the squares of four integers. For example, 23 = 12 + 22 + 32 + 32. The four-square theorem was first proposed by the Greek mathematician Diophantus of Alexandria in his treatise

Lagrange’s four-square theorem, in number theory, theorem that every positive integer can be expressed as the sum of the squares of four integers. For example, 23 = 12 + 22 + 32 + 32. The four-square theorem was first proposed by the Greek mathematician Diophantus of Alexandria in his treatise

optics: Magnification: the optical invariant: This theorem has been named after the French scientist Joseph-Louis Lagrange, although it is sometimes called the Smith-Helmholtz theorem, after Robert Smith, an English scientist, and Hermann Helmholtz, a German scientist; the product (hnu) is often known as the optical invariant. As it is easy to…

Joseph-Louis Lagrange, comte de l’Empire was an Italian French mathematician who made great contributions to number theory and to analytic and celestial mechanics. His most important book, Mécanique analytique (1788; “Analytic Mechanics”), was the basis for all later work in this field. Lagrange

Marie-Joseph Lagrange was a French theologian and an outstanding Roman Catholic biblical scholar. Lagrange became a Dominican in 1879 and was ordained in 1883. After teaching church history at Toulouse (1884–88), he studied Oriental languages at the University of Vienna before his order sent him to

Joseph-Louis Lagrange, comte de l’Empire was an Italian French mathematician who made great contributions to number theory and to analytic and celestial mechanics. His most important book, Mécanique analytique (1788; “Analytic Mechanics”), was the basis for all later work in this field. Lagrange

Lagrangian function, quantity that characterizes the state of a physical system. In mechanics, the Lagrangian function is just the kinetic energy (energy of motion) minus the potential energy (energy of position). One may think of a physical system, changing as time goes on from one state or

Lagrange point, in astronomy, a point in space at which a small body, under the gravitational influence of two large ones, will remain approximately at rest relative to them. In any two-body system, there are five Lagrange points numbered L1 to L5. At these points, the gravitational pull exerted by

Lagrangian function, quantity that characterizes the state of a physical system. In mechanics, the Lagrangian function is just the kinetic energy (energy of motion) minus the potential energy (energy of position). One may think of a physical system, changing as time goes on from one state or

Luis Barahona de Soto: …Angelica”), more commonly known as Las lágrimas de Angélica (“The Tears of Angelica”), a continuation of the Angelica and Medoro episode in Ludovico Ariosto’s Orlando furioso.

thing, in medieval Scandinavia, the local, provincial, and, in Iceland, national assemblies of freemen that formed the fundamental unit of government and law. Meeting at fixed intervals, the things, in which democratic practices were influenced by male heads of households, legislated at all levels,

Norway: Constitutional framework: …were chosen to constitute the Lagting, or upper house, while the remaining members constituted the Odelsting, or lower house. Bills had to be passed by both houses in succession. In 2009 the Lagting was dissolved, and the Storting became permanently unicameral.

Sudan: The Addis Ababa Agreement: Joseph Lagu, who combined under his authority both the fighting units of the Anya Nya and its political wing, the Southern Sudan Liberation Movement (SSLM). Thereafter throughout 1971 the SSLM, representing Lagu, maintained a dialogue with the Sudanese government over proposals for regional autonomy and…

special function: …polynomials, the Jacobi polynomials, the Laguerre polynomials, the Whittaker functions, and the parabolic cylinder functions. As with the Bessel functions, one can study their infinite series, recursion formulas, generating functions, asymptotic series, integral representations, and other properties. Attempts have been made to unify this rich topic, but not one has…

Sports Illustrated: Founding and early years: After 1959, when Andre Laguerre took over as managing editor, Sports Illustrated focused on premier sporting events, allowing people to read more about what they had seen on television or read about in newspapers. Laguerre was thus able to gain millions of new readers and generate billions of…

Ancestral Pueblo culture: Acoma, and Laguna. As farmers, Ancestral Pueblo peoples and their nomadic neighbours were often mutually hostile; this is the source of the term Anasazi, a Navajo word meaning “ancestors of the enemy,” which once served as the customary scientific name for this group.

Laguna Beach, city, Orange county, southwestern California, U.S. Lying along the Pacific Ocean, Laguna Beach is about 50 miles (80 km) south of Los Angeles. Part of the Mexican land grant (1837) called Rancho San Joaquin, it was named Lagona, a corruption of the Spanish word meaning “lagoon,” for

Neuquén: …the province has Lanín and Laguna Blanca national parks.

Caratasca Lagoon, lagoon in northeastern Honduras. The country’s largest lagoon, Caratasca extends inland from the Caribbean Sea for approximately 25 miles (40 km) and measures up to 55 miles (88 km) from northwest to southeast. It is linked to the Caribbean by a 3-mile (5-kilometre) channel, on

pre-Columbian civilizations: The rise of Olmec civilization: Laguna de los Cerros, just south of the Cerro Cintepec in Veracruz, appears to have been a large Olmec site with outstanding sculptures. La Venta, just east of the Tabasco border, was another contemporary site, but it reached its height after San Lorenzo had gone…

Tamiahua Lagoon, long coastal lagoon in Veracruz state, eastern Mexico. An inlet of the Gulf of Mexico, it extends approximately 65 miles (105 km) southward from Tampico. A long, narrow, sandy peninsula from which Cape Rojo projects eastward shelters the 12-mile- (19-km-) wide lagoon from the Gulf.

Laguna District, agricultural area comprising adjoining portions of western Coahuila and eastern Durango states, northern Mexico. The district, which contains approximately 312,000 acres (126,000 hectares) of irrigable land, was named for the shallow lagoons that were formed on the plains. The

Mexico: Agriculture: The Laguna Project near Torreón was the country’s first attempt at providing water to the arid North, and huge cooperative ejidos were formed to farm cotton using modern mechanized methods. This was followed by the Las Delicias Project near Chihuahua, which also featured cotton but later…

Leslie Marmon Silko: Early life and writing: …stories and the poetry collection Laguna Woman (1974). Often referred to as the premier Native American writer of her generation, she frequently drew on the Laguna stories she had heard in childhood, combining concerns of Laguna spirituality, such as the relationship between human beings and the natural elements, with complex…

sugarplum tree, (Lagunaria patersoni), plant of the mallow family (Malvaceae), native to Australia and grown in warm temperate regions as an ornamental. Because of its shapely growth and regularly spaced branches, it is sometimes grown along avenues. The tree grows to about 15 m (50 feet) in height

lemming: …wood lemming (Myopus schisticolor) and steppe lemming (Lagurus lagurus) are the smallest, measuring 8 to 12 cm (3.1 to 4.7 inches) in body length and weighing 20 to 30 grams (0.7 to 1.0 ounce). The other species are larger, weighing 30 to 112 grams, with bodies 10 to 22 cm…

hare’s-tail grass, (Lagurus ovatus), annual grass of the family Poaceae, native to shores of the Mediterranean region. Hare’s-tail grass is cultivated as an ornamental and is commonly used in dried bouquets. The plant has naturalized in parts of Australia and the United Kingdom and is considered an

Boris Nikolayevich Lagutin is a Soviet boxer who won medals in three consecutive Olympic Games, including gold medals in 1964 and 1968. (Read Gene Tunney’s 1929 Britannica essay on boxing.) Fighting as a light middleweight (156 pounds [71 kg]), Lagutin was awarded a bronze medal at the 1960

algae: Annotated classification: >Lagynion, and Ochromonas. Class Dictyochophyceae Predominantly marine flagellates, including silicoflagellates that form skeletons common in diatomite deposits; fewer than 25 described species. Order Pedinellales When pigmented, has 6

Josef Dietrich: …in 1932 evolved into the Leibstandarte-SS Adolf Hitler (LAH), which served as Hitler’s personal army and later became a division in the Waffen-SS. As a reward for the role played by the LAH in the violent purge of Ernst Röhm and other high-ranking SA officers in June 1934, Dietrich was…

Lahaina, city, Maui county, on the northwest coast of Maui island, Hawaii, U.S. Extending for 2 miles (3 km) along the leeward (southern) shore, the city is backed by volcanic peaks culminating in Puu Kukui (5,788 feet [1,764 metres]) and sheltered by thick groves of coconut palms. Originally a

Lahmu and Lahamu, in Mesopotamian mythology, twin deities, the first gods to be born from the chaos that was created by the merging of Apsu (the watery deep beneath the earth) and Tiamat (the personification of the salt waters); this is described in the Babylonian mythological text Enuma elish (c.

lahar, mudflow of volcanic material. Lahars may carry all sizes of material from ash to large boulders and produce deposits of volcanic conglomerate. Lahars may be the result of heavy rain on loose ash material such as deposits of nuées ardentes (dense clouds of gases charged with incandescent

Meir Lahav is an Israeli chemist known for his work, conducted in collaboration with Israeli chemist Leslie Leiserowitz, on the crystal forms of organic molecules. Lahav was born to a Jewish family in Bulgaria, which allied with Nazi Germany during World War II. His father was placed in a labor

Lahore, second largest city of Pakistan and the capital of Punjab province. It lies 811 miles (1,305 km) northeast of Karāchi in the upper Indus plain on the Rāvi River, a tributary of the Indus. Little is known of the history of the settlement prior to the Muslim period. Hindu legend attributes

apocalyptic literature: Modern literary works: …was published in 1995) by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins, which describe apocalyptic events in particularly violent terms, achieved phenomenal popularity. It is estimated that more than 65 million copies of books in the Left Behind series were in print by the early 21st century, and the series generated…

apocalyptic literature: Modern literary works: …was published in 1995) by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins, which describe apocalyptic events in particularly violent terms, achieved phenomenal popularity. It is estimated that more than 65 million copies of books in the Left Behind series were in print by the early 21st century, and the series generated…

Mohammed Aziz Lahbabi was a Moroccan novelist, poet, and philosopher whose works are marked by a humanist perspective that stresses the importance of dialogue and of the universal. Lahbabi taught philosophy at the University of Rabat, where he was dean of the faculty of letters as well as

Laḥij, town, southwestern Yemen. Situated on the Wadi Tibban in the coastal plain, some 30 miles (45 km) north of Aden, it is the centre of an agricultural area. Its sparse rainfall occurs chiefly in the winter season. Under the former Aden Protectorate, a British-ruled area, it was capital of the

Laḥij, town, southwestern Yemen. Situated on the Wadi Tibban in the coastal plain, some 30 miles (45 km) north of Aden, it is the centre of an agricultural area. Its sparse rainfall occurs chiefly in the winter season. Under the former Aden Protectorate, a British-ruled area, it was capital of the

Guru Angad was the second Sikh Guru (1539–52) and standardizer of the Punjabi script, Gurmukhi, in which many parts of the Adi Granth, the sacred book of the Sikhs, are written. While on a pilgrimage to the shrine of a Hindu goddess, Angad met the founder of the Sikh religion, Guru Nanak, whom he

Jhumpa Lahiri is an English-born American novelist and short-story writer whose works illuminate the immigrant experience, in particular that of East Indians. She won a Pulitzer Prize for fiction in 2000 for her short-story collection Interpreter of Maladies (1999). Lahiri was born to Bengali

Jhumpa Lahiri is an English-born American novelist and short-story writer whose works illuminate the immigrant experience, in particular that of East Indians. She won a Pulitzer Prize for fiction in 2000 for her short-story collection Interpreter of Maladies (1999). Lahiri was born to Bengali

fungus: Annotated classification: …placed in any class) Order Lahmiales Pathogenic on trees, mainly aspens; example genus is Lahmia. Order Medeolariales Saprotrophic; example genus is Medeolaria. Order Triblidiales Saprotrophic; ascomata solitary or clustered; example genera

Lahmu and Lahamu, in Mesopotamian mythology, twin deities, the first gods to be born from the chaos that was created by the merging of Apsu (the watery deep beneath the earth) and Tiamat (the personification of the salt waters); this is described in the Babylonian mythological text Enuma elish (c.

Lahn River, river, a right-bank tributary of the Rhine River, rising on the Jagd Berg (2,218 feet [676 m]), a summit of the Rothaar Hills in western Germany. The river, which is 152 miles (245 km) long, first flows eastward and then southward to Giessen, before turning southwestward and, with a

Lahnda language, group of Indo-Aryan dialects spoken in and around the western districts of Punjab province in Pakistan. The Punjabi word lahnda, literally meaning “west,” was first used in this sense by Irish linguist Sir George Grierson in the Linguistic Survey of India (1903–28) as a convenient

Gurmukhi alphabet: …have been modified from the Lahnda script, which is used to write the Punjabi, Sindhi, and Lahnda (now considered to consist of Siraiki and Hindko) languages. Lahnda, Gurmukhi, and two other scripts used in northwestern India—Sharada and Takri—make up a related group that is probably descended from a common ancestor.…

Lahnda language, group of Indo-Aryan dialects spoken in and around the western districts of Punjab province in Pakistan. The Punjabi word lahnda, literally meaning “west,” was first used in this sense by Irish linguist Sir George Grierson in the Linguistic Survey of India (1903–28) as a convenient

North America: Lakes of North America: …rise to the enormous Lakes Lahontan and Bonneville. The Great Salt Lake is a relic of Lake Bonneville, the ancient strandlines of which are up to 1,000 feet (300 meters) above the present shoreline. Similarly, present-day Lake Chapala in Mexico represents only a small portion of the large body of…

Louis-Armand de Lom d’Arce, baron de Lahontan was a French soldier and writer who explored parts of what are now Canada and the United States and who prepared valuable accounts of his travels in the New World. Lahontan went to Canada in 1683 as a marine lieutenant. He participated in an

Lahore, second largest city of Pakistan and the capital of Punjab province. It lies 811 miles (1,305 km) northeast of Karāchi in the upper Indus plain on the Rāvi River, a tributary of the Indus. Little is known of the history of the settlement prior to the Muslim period. Hindu legend attributes

Aḥmadiyyah: The Lahore group (Lahore Ahmadiyya Movement) members are also proselytizers, though more concerned in gaining converts to Islam than to their particular sect. Led from its inception to his death in 1951 by Mawlana Muhammad Ali, the sect has been active in English- and Urdu-language publishing and in…

Lahore Fort, fortified complex in Lahore, Pakistan, comprising mosques and palaces built by Mughal emperors. The fort stands as one of the prime examples of Mughal architecture. The history of Lahore Fort reaches back into the recesses of Indian history, with excavations at the site suggesting it

Lahore Museum, in Lahore, Pak., archaeological museum opened in 1894 and containing examples of the arts and crafts of the province of Punjab, including sculpture, coins, and Kangra (Pahari) and Mughal paintings and fabrics. Greco-Buddhist sculptures excavated from sites in the Peshāwar district

India: The impact of World War II: The famous Lahore Resolution, later known as the Pakistan Resolution, was passed by the largest gathering of league delegates just one day after Jinnah informed his followers that “the problem of India is not of an inter-communal but manifestly of an international character.” The league resolved, therefore,…

India: The completion of dominion and expansion: By the Treaty of Lahore they took Kashmir and its dependencies, with the fertile Jullundur (now Jalandhar) area, reduced the regular army to 20,000 infantry and 12,000 cavalry, and exacted a sizable cash indemnity. The British then sold Kashmir to the Hindu chief Gulab Singh of Jammu,…

Émile Lahoud was a Lebanese military commander who served as president of Lebanon (1998–2007). Born into a Maronite Christian family, Émile Lahoud was the son of pro-independence military general and politician Jamil Lahoud, who is often credited with having established the Lebanese Army. Émile

Émile Lahoud was a Lebanese military commander who served as president of Lebanon (1998–2007). Born into a Maronite Christian family, Émile Lahoud was the son of pro-independence military general and politician Jamil Lahoud, who is often credited with having established the Lebanese Army. Émile

Bert Lahr was an American stage and screen actor who was best known for his dynamic portrayal of the Cowardly Lion in the film The Wizard of Oz (1939). Lahr was a lackadaisical student who left school after failing eighth grade. In 1910 he joined a friend’s burlesque act, and he honed his energetic

Bert Lahr was an American stage and screen actor who was best known for his dynamic portrayal of the Cowardly Lion in the film The Wizard of Oz (1939). Lahr was a lackadaisical student who left school after failing eighth grade. In 1910 he joined a friend’s burlesque act, and he honed his energetic

Lahti, city, southern Finland. It lies at the southern end of Lake Vesi, northeast of Helsinki. Founded in 1878, it was incorporated in 1905. A developing industrial centre linked to the rest of Finland by major rail, road, and lake routes, it produces most of the nation’s furniture, as well as

Lahu, peoples living in upland areas of Yunnan, China, eastern Myanmar (Burma), northern Thailand, northern Laos, and Vietnam who speak related dialects of Tibeto-Burman languages. Although there is no indigenous Lahu system of writing, three different romanized Lahu orthographies exist; two of

Sino-Tibetan languages: Tibeto-Burman languages: application) includes Yi (Lolo), Hani, Lahu, Lisu, Kachin (Jingpo), Kuki-Chin, the obsolete Xixia (Tangut), and other languages. The Tibetan writing system (which dates from the 7th century) and the Burmese (dating from the 11th century) are derived from the Indo-Aryan (Indic) tradition. The Xixia system (developed in the 11th–13th century…

Al-Lāhūn, ancient Egyptian site, located southwest of Al-Fayyūm near the southward turn of the Baḥr Yūsuf canal in Al-Fayyūm muḥāfaẓah (governorate). Al-Lāhūn was the location of a Middle Kingdom (1938–c. 1630 bce) pyramid and of a workmen’s village of approximately the same date, and findings in

Tajikistan: Literature: Abū al-Qāsim Lāhūtī’s poem Taj va bayraq (1935; Crown and Banner) and Mirzo Tursunzade’s Hasani arobakash (1954; Hasan the Cart Driver) responded to the changes of the Soviet era. The latter’s lyric cycle Sadoyi Osiyo (1956; The Voice of Asia) won major communist awards. A…

descort, a synonym for lai, a medieval Provençal lyric in which the stanzas are nonuniform. The term also refers to a poem in medieval Provençal literature with stanzas in different languages. Derived from Old French and Old Provençal, the word literally means “a quarrel” or

Mizo: …to the entire Mizo community), Pawi (Lai), Lakher (Mara), and Hmar. In the early 21st century the Mizo numbered about one million.

lai, medieval poetic and musical form, cultivated especially among the trouvères, or poet-musicians, of northern France in the 12th and 13th centuries but also among their slightly earlier, Provençal-language counterparts, the troubadours, and, called Leich, by the German minnesingers. The lai was

Breton lay, poetic form so called because Breton professional storytellers supposedly recited similar poems, though none are extant. A short, rhymed romance recounting a love story, it includes supernatural elements, mythology transformed by medieval chivalry, and the Celtic idea of faerie, the

Lai Ching-te is the president of Taiwan. He is known for being a vocal supporter of Taiwan’s sovereignty and for his rise from poverty to the upper echelons of Taiwan’s government leadership. He has previously served as a legislator (1999–2010), mayor of Tainan (2010–17), and Taiwan’s premier

Jean Renart: …defends her reputation; and the Lai de l’ombre, about a knight who presses a ring on his lady and, when she refuses it, throws it to her reflection in a well—a gesture that persuades her to accept him. Renart’s authorship of the first two works, which had each survived only…