lên

Etymology
From, from (reconstruction in Shorto, 2006); related to. Cognate with 🇨🇬, 🇨🇬 [Rục] liːŋ¹, 🇨🇬 liɲ ("to go up; on"), 🇨🇬 and 🇨🇬 leŋ ("upwards, upstream"). Munda comparanda includes 🇨🇬 aliŋ-ta ("above, from above, on; up, upon") and 🇨🇬 liɲ ("up, above").

Note that the reconstruction by Ferlus (2007) is inaccurate at Proto-Vietic level. The fronting of final to  after front vowels only occured at Common Viet-Muong stage, not Proto-Vietic proper, hence non-Viet-Muong languages (like Rục) keep final  intact. The reconstruction is thus accurate for the Common Viet-Muong stage, but the Proto-Vietic form can be mended to  instead.

For some other examples of Common Viet-Muong fronting of after front vowels, compare Viet. vs. Cuối Chăm teːŋ³, Viet. vs. Cuối Chăm kuː¹ liŋ¹, Viet. vs. Rục ciːŋ².

Verb

 * 1) to go up, come up, rise
 * 2) to be or reach a certain age
 * 3) to get on (a )
 * 4) to go to (a more developed area)
 * 5)  to be activated
 * 1) to go to (a more developed area)
 * 2)  to be activated
 * 1)  to be activated

Adverb

 * 1) upwards

Usage notes

 * Lên is used after an adjective to indicate an upward development of a character or state of a person or thing. The adjective needs not to have positive connotation, although they often do. Similar usage is seen with, usually used with adjectives with more neutral or negative connotation.