ierocis

Latvian

Ieroči

Ieroči

Etymology

Derived from ie- +‎ roka (“hand”) and made into a second-declension masculine noun (ending -is). The original meaning was probably “handle” (“in-hand”), maybe “sword handle” (in some older sourcers, ierocis is given as a synonym of zobens “sword”). In the 18th and 19th centuries, ierocis, like its Lithuanian cognate, could also mean “tool, instrument” (< “something held with one's hand”); its military meaning grew gradually more important, becoming dominant by the end of the 19th century. Cognates include Lithuanian į́rankis (“tool, instrument, weapon”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ìɛɾuôtsis]

• Audio:

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Noun

ierocis m (2nd declension)

1. weapon (instrument used to injure, kill, or destroy)

   medību ierocis ― hunting weapon

   šaujamais ierocis, šaujamierocis ― firearm

   eksplozīvie ieroči ― explosive weapons

   aukstie ieroči ― blade (lit. cold) weapons

   masveida iznīcināšanas ieroči ― weapons of mass destruction

   bakterioloģiskie, bioloģiskie, ķīmiskie ieroči ― bacteriological, biological, chemical weapons

Declension

Declension of ierocis (2nd declension)

	singular (vienskaitlis)	plural (daudzskaitlis)
nominative (nominatīvs)	ierocis	ieroči
accusative (akuzatīvs)	ieroci	ieročus
genitive (ģenitīvs)	ieroča	ieroču
dative (datīvs)	ierocim	ieročiem
instrumental (instrumentālis)	ieroci	ieročiem
locative (lokatīvs)	ierocī	ieročos
vocative (vokatīvs)	ieroci	ieroči

Derived terms

• kodolierocis
• šaujamierocis, šaujamais ierocis