Basic Details
Word: Legend
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: An old traditional story about people or events of the past, told for generations but not proven to be true. It can also mean a very famous person in some field, or the key that explains the symbols on a map.
Synonyms: myth, tale, icon, hero
Word origin: Comes from Medieval Latin legenda, 'things to be read', first used for stories of saints read aloud.
How to Spell Legend
Syllables: leg - end
Tricky part: The g is soft, like j, so students write ledgend with a d. There is no d before the g, and the second vowel is e, not a.
Watch out for: ledgend, legand, legent
Memory tip: Split it into two everyday words: leg + end. A legend starts with a leg and finishes at the end.
Idioms and Phrases
- a legend in one's own lifetime: someone who becomes very famous while still alive. Example: "The old tabla player was a legend in his own lifetime in Varanasi."
Usage Examples
Example 1: There is a legend that a golden temple lies under the lake near our village.
Example 2: Milkha Singh became a legend of Indian athletics.
Example 3: Check the legend at the bottom of the map to see which symbol marks a railway station.
Fun Fact
On a map, the box that explains the symbols and colours is called the legend, because it is the part you have to read to understand the map.
Practise the CREST Way
Spell-o-Spell
Only one word in the list is spelt correctly. Choose the meaning of that word.
1. mythicle 2. chivalary 3. legend 4. folklor
a) the code of honour followed by knights in the Middle Ages
b) existing only in myths or the imagination
c) a traditional story about the past that is not proven to be true
d) the traditional beliefs and stories of a community
Show answer
c) a traditional story about the past that is not proven to be true. Folklore needs its final e, mythical ends in cal and chivalry has no extra a, which leaves legend as the correct word.
Word Connection
Choose the word closest in meaning to legend as used in the sentence:
The old boat builder of Beypore is a legend among the fishermen of the coast.
a) icon
b) nobody
c) rumour
d) novice
Show answer
a) icon. A legend here is a very famous, admired person, so icon fits; nobody and novice point the other way.
Word Cookie
Fill in the missing letters:
l_g_nd
a) e, e
b) a, e
c) e, a
d) i, e
Show answer
a) e, e. Both vowels are e: l-e-g-e-n-d, the same as leg and end side by side.
Mingle-Mangle
Unjumble the word in the sentence and choose it:
The guide told us the dengle of the king who built the fort in a single night.
a) ledger
b) lender
c) legend
d) gender
Show answer
c) legend. Ledger, lender and gender each need an r, and the jumble has none.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. A legend is different from a history book because a legend ____.
a) is only about animals
b) has not been proven true
c) must be written in verse
d) is always about the future
Show answer
b) has not been proven true
2. Which sentence uses legend to mean a very famous person?
a) Read the legend to find the post office symbol.
b) Lata Mangeshkar was a legend of Indian music.
c) The legend was carved on an old stone.
d) The legend says a dragon lived in the cave.
Show answer
b) Lata Mangeshkar was a legend of Indian music.
