sermulis

Latvian

Sermulis (vasarā)

Sermulis (ziemā)

Alternative forms

• (dialectal form) sermuls

Etymology

From *serm- +‎ -ulis, from Proto-Baltic *šerm-, from Proto-Indo-European *ḱer- (“gray color”) with an extra -m (whence also Latvian sirms (“gray”), q.v.). Cognates include Lithuanian šarmuõ, šermuõ, šermuonė̃lis, Old High German harmo, German Hermelin.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [sæ̂ɾmulis]

Noun

sermulis m (2nd declension)

1. stoat, ermine (a mustelid species of the weasel family, Mustela erminea, whose fur becomes completely white in winter)

   sermuļa āda, sermuļāda ― ermine fur

   sermuļa apkakle ― ermine (fur) collar

   sermulis ir ļoti derīgs dzīvnieks, jo iznīcina daudz peļu ― the stoat is a very useful animal, because it kills many mice

   sermulis medī žurkas, ūdensžurkas, peles, sīkos putnus, uzbrūk pat irbēm un zaķiem ― the stoat hunts rats, water rats, mice, little birds, attacking even partridges and hares

Declension

Declension of sermulis (2nd declension)

	singular (vienskaitlis)	plural (daudzskaitlis)
nominative (nominatīvs)	sermulis	sermuļi
accusative (akuzatīvs)	sermuli	sermuļus
genitive (ģenitīvs)	sermuļa	sermuļu
dative (datīvs)	sermulim	sermuļiem
instrumental (instrumentālis)	sermuli	sermuļiem
locative (lokatīvs)	sermulī	sermuļos
vocative (vokatīvs)	sermuli	sermuļi

Derived terms

• sermuļāda, sermuļa āda