Haugen's dictionary also has: "li" as a wooded or grassy hillside, mountainside I can't remember just what it means when "en" is added to the root of a Norwegian word, but I think it has something to do with the word "the", to identify a particular place or area. Li + en = the wooded or grassy hillside, etc, as in the Lien farm. Another common Norwegian farm name example: "haug" means hill, knoll or mound - usually, a "Haugen" farm in Norway has some geological setting/association with a large hill. Correct me if I'm wrong! Vickie in Minnesota Lien (Vang, Valdres) AND Haugen (Lærdal)descendant In a message dated 2/18/01 4:56:11 PM, mhobart@worldnet.att.net writes: << Einar Haugen's "Norwegian-English Dictionary," (Madison, WI: Univ. of Wisconsin Press, ISBN 0-299-03874-2) does not have an entry for Lien but does have "lein" as slant or slope, as well as a side-piece, as in a side-piece on a loom. Regards, Mike Hobart >>