zils

English

Noun

zils

  1. plural of zil

Latvian

Etymology

From Proto-Baltic *žil-as, from Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰelh₃- (“to shine”), the same stem as zelts (“gold”) (q.v.) and several color terms (compare dzeltens (“yellow”), zaļš (“green”). This word must have been formed relatively late, after the differentiation of Baltic and Slavic, since, unlike “yellow” and “green,” it has no counterparts among the Slavic terms for “blue.” Cognates include Lithuanian žìlas (“gray, silvery-white”).[1]

Pronunciation

Adjective
Zils

zils (definite zilais, comparative zilāks, superlative viszilākais, adverb zili)

  1. blue (the same (or similar) color as, e.g., a clear sky)
    zila krāsa ― blue color
    tumši, gaiši zils ― dark, light blue
    zilas acis ― blue eyes
    zili dūmi ― blue smoke
    zilais krusts ― the blue cross (veterinarian aid sign)
  2. blue (having a tone or hue similar to blue when compared to other, related elements)
    zilie ceriņi ― blue lilacs

Declension
indefinite declension (nenoteiktā galotne) of zils
masculine (vīriešu dzimte) feminine (sieviešu dzimte)
singular
(vienskaitlis)		 plural
(daudzskaitlis)		 singular
(vienskaitlis)		 plural
(daudzskaitlis)
nominative (nominatīvs) zils zili zila zilas
accusative (akuzatīvs) zilu zilus zilu zilas
genitive (ģenitīvs) zila zilu zilas zilu
dative (datīvs) zilam ziliem zilai zilām
instrumental (instrumentālis) zilu ziliem zilu zilām
locative (lokatīvs) zilā zilos zilā zilās
vocative (vokatīvs) — — — —

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), “zils”, in Latviešu Etimoloģijas Vārdnīca (in Latvian), Rīga: AVOTS, →ISBN
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