kreilis
Latvian
Kreile
Etymology
From Proto-Indo-European *sker-, *ker-, *kr̥- (“to turn, to bend”), changed to Proto-Baltic *krei-, with a suffix -r, giving rise to an adjective *kreiras > *kreilas (compare archaic adjective krails (“bent, crooked”)) and a noun *kreiris. The meaning evolved from “bent, crooked” to “not strong, clumsy, weaker, less good,” hence “left (hand),” as opposed to the “good,” “able” right hand, and then to “left-hander.” Cognates include Lithuanian kairỹs (“left-hander”) ( < *krairys).[1]
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): [kɾēīlis]
| (file) |
Noun
kreilis m (2nd declension, feminine form: kreile)
- (male) left-hander, left-handed man (someone who is better with his left hand than with his right hand)
- kreiļi dod priekšroku kreisajai rokai un kājai ― left-handers give preference to (their) left hand and foot
Declension
Declension of kreilis (2nd declension)
| singular (vienskaitlis) | plural (daudzskaitlis) | |
|---|---|---|
| nominative (nominatīvs) | kreilis | kreiļi |
| accusative (akuzatīvs) | kreili | kreiļus |
| genitive (ģenitīvs) | kreiļa | kreiļu |
| dative (datīvs) | kreilim | kreiļiem |
| instrumental (instrumentālis) | kreili | kreiļiem |
| locative (lokatīvs) | kreilī | kreiļos |
| vocative (vokatīvs) | kreili | kreiļi |
Derived terms
Related terms
References
- Karulis, Konstantīns (1992) “kreilis”, in Latviešu Etimoloģijas Vārdnīca (in Latvian), Rīga: AVOTS, →ISBN
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