The word lès (French pronunciation: [lɛ] ⓘ, and [lɛz‿] with liaison) is an archaic French preposition meaning "near", "next to".[1][2] Today it occurs only in place names to distinguish places with the same name.
The word lès has two variants: lez and les.[1] The latter should not be confused with the plural definite article les (e.g. les-Bains, "the Baths").
The word lès and its variants derive from late Latin latus, "side".[1][2] The preposition is not used anymore in French, but remains still nowadays in other Langues d'oïl such as the Walloon language with dilé (close to) and adlé (among).