kreilis
Latvian
Kreile
Etymology
From Proto-Indo-European *sker-, *ker-, *kr̥- (“to turn, to bend”), changed to *krei-, with a suffix -r, giving rise to an adjective *kreiras > *kreilas (cf. 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: [kɾēīlis]
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
| 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, 2001. Latviešu etimoloģijas vārdnīca. Rīga: AVOTS. ISBN 9984700127.