The Leleges (/ˈlɛlɪdʒiːz/; ‹See Tfd›Greek: Λέλεγες) were an aboriginal people of the Aegean region, before the Greeks arrived. They were distinct from another pre-Hellenic people of the region, the Pelasgians. The exact areas to which they were native are uncertain, since they were apparently pre-literate and the only references to them are in ancient Greek sources. These references are casual and (it is alleged) sometimes fictitious.[1] Likewise, little is known about the language of the Leleges.
Many Greek authors link the Leleges to the Carians of south-west Anatolia.[2] Homer names the Leleges among the Trojan allies alongside the Carians, Pelasgians, Paeonians and Gaucones.[3]