dzeltens

See also: dzeltēns

Latvian

Alternative forms

Etymology

Derived ( + -ens) from an old adjective dzelts (yellow), found in old folk songs, and still in some dialects, but not in the standard language anymore (possibly due to homophony with dzelts (stung, pricked)). It was the past participle of *dzelt, from Proto-Baltic *gel-, from Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰelh₃- (to shine) (whence also zelts (gold) and other color terms: compare zils (blue), zaļš (green)). Cognates include Lithuanian geltónas, Old Prussian gelatynan (probably a mistranscribed geltaynan; neut. pl.?), Proto-Slavic *žьltъ (< *gilt-) (Russian жёлтый (žóltyj), Belarusian жо́ўты (žóŭty), Ukrainian жовтий (žóvtyj), Bulgarian жълт (žǎlt), Czech žlutý, Polish żółty).[1]

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): [dzæ̀ltæns]
(file)

Adjective

Dzeltens

dzeltens (definite dzeltenais, comparative dzeltenāks, superlative visdzeltenākais, adverb dzelteni)

  1. yellow (having the color of, e.g., gold, or of the dandelion flower)
    tumši, gaiši, koši dzeltensdark, light, bright yellow
    dzeltens ziedsyellow flower
    dzeltens taurenisyellow butterfly
    dzeltena krāsa, gaismayellow color, light
    dzeltens papīrsyellow paper
  2. yellow (the color of old leaves)
    parkā rudens vējš dzenā dzeltenas, sakaltušas lapasin the park, the autumn wind drives the yellow, dried leaves away
  3. yellow (without color, pale and unhealthy)
    dzeltens kā vasksyellow as wax (i.e., very unhealthy)
  4. yellow (having a slightly darker skin color)
    dzeltenā rasethe yellow race
    ūdeņraža bumba nepazīst izņēmumu; tai ir vienādi visi: baltie, dzeltenie un melniethe hydrogen bomb knows no exceptions; to it, all people are the same: white, yellow, or black

Declension

Derived terms

See also
Colors in Latvian · krāsas (layout · text)
     balts      pelēks      melns
             sarkans, sārts              oranžs ; brūns              dzeltens
                          zaļš             
                                       zils
                          violets              rozā

References

  1. Karulis, Konstantīns (1992), dzeltens”, in Latviešu Etimoloģijas Vārdnīca (in Latvian), Rīga: AVOTS, →ISBN
This article is issued from Wiktionary. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.