itālis
See also: italis
Latvian edit
Etymology edit
Borrowed from Latin italus, itself possibly a borrowing from Oscan 𐌅𐌝𐌕𐌄𐌋𐌉𐌞 (víteliú), a name for the southwestern tip of the boot of Italy (today's Calabria), possibly a cognate of Latin vitulus (“calf”), meaning perhaps “land of cattle.” Other theories include the name of an ancient or legendary leader Italus, or also an old borrowing from Illyrian.
Pronunciation edit
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Noun edit
itālis m (2nd declension, feminine form: itāliete)
- Italic; a member of the ancient Italic peoples of primitive Italy
- Italian (i.e., a man born in Italy)
- (genitive plural) Italian; pertaining to Italy and its people
- itāļu valoda ― the Italian language
Usage notes edit
The noun itālietis is preferred in almost all senses; itālis is most often used in the plural itāļi to refer to the Italic peoples of ancient (pre-Roman) Italy. The only exception is the name of the Italian language, for which itāļu valoda is as frequent as itāliešu valoda.
Declension edit
Declension of itālis (2nd declension)