melnums

Latvian

Etymology

From melns (“black”) +‎ -ums.

Noun

1. (chiefly singular) blackness (the quality of that which is black)

   drāna piķa, darvas, ogļu melnumā — cloth as black as pitch, tar, coal

   nakts melnums — the blackness of night

2. something black

   tālumā redzams kaut kāds melnums — something black was visible in the distance

3. (chiefly plural) dirt, dirt spot(s)

   melnumi sagājuši aiz nagiem — dirt collected under the nails

   bez ziepēm veļai neiet ārā melnumi — without soap the laundry dirt does not go out (= wash off)

   krekli jāmazgā vai ik pārnedēļas, jo citādi melnumi tā ieēdas, ka nevar ne izberzt — shirts must be washed every two weeks, or else other (kinds of) dirt eat themselves in so much that they cannot be scrubbed out

4. improper conduct, behavior; reprehensible, shameful fact, circumstance

   pat gribēdams Skaidrītes darbā melnumu neatradīsi — even wanting to, you will not find anything reprehensible in Skaidrīte's work

Declension

declension of melnums

	singular (vienskaitlis)	plural (daudzskaitlis)
nominative (nominatīvs)	melnums	melnumi
accusative (akuzatīvs)	melnumu	melnumus
genitive (ģenitīvs)	melnuma	melnumu
dative (datīvs)	melnumam	melnumiem
instrumental (instrumentālis)	melnumu	melnumiem
locative (lokatīvs)	melnumā	melnumos
vocative (vokatīvs)	melnum	melnumi