vēzis

See also: Vēzis

Latvian
Vēzis

Etymology

There are various opinions about the origin of this word. Some derive it from the verb vēzēt (“to swing quickly (from one side to the other)”), or from the verb vēzt (“to drag (sideways, back)”); others relate it to Lithuanian verb vóžti (“to shut, to cover”); others compare it to Sanskrit वाह्यकी (vāhyakī), वाहकः (vāhakaḥ, “some poisonous insect”). Cognates include Lithuanian vėžỹs.[1]

Pronunciation
  • IPA(key): [vɛ̂ːzis]
(file)

Noun

vēzis m (2nd declension)

  1. (crustacean) crayfish
    jūras vēži ― sea crayfish
    upes vēži ― river crayfish
    purva vēzis ― swamp crayfish
    sarkans kā vārīts vēzis ― red as a boiled crayfish
    velkas kā vēzis ― (it) drags itself like a crayfish (= slowly)
  2. (medicine) cancer (disease characterized by uncontrolled cellular growth)
    kuņģa, plaušu, krūts vēzis ― stomach, lungs, breast cancer
    vēža slimnieks ― cancer patient
  3. (botany) plant disease characterized by growths on the trunk or roots
    āboliņa vēzis ― clover cancer
    augļu koku vēzis ― fruit tree cancer
    kartupeļu vēzis ― potato cancer

Declension
Declension of vēzis (2nd declension)
singular (vienskaitlis) plural (daudzskaitlis)
nominative (nominatīvs) vēzis vēži
accusative (akuzatīvs) vēzi vēžus
genitive (ģenitīvs) vēža vēžu
dative (datīvs) vēzim vēžiem
instrumental (instrumentālis) vēzi vēžiem
locative (lokatīvs) vēzī vēžos
vocative (vokatīvs) vēzi vēži

References
  1. Karulis, Konstantīns (1992), “vēzis”, in Latviešu Etimoloģijas Vārdnīca (in Latvian), Rīga: AVOTS, →ISBN
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