zirnis

From Proto-Baltic *žir-nya-, from Proto-Balto-Slavic *źirˀna-, from Proto-Indo-European *ǵr̥h₂nóm, *grain, from the stem *ǵerh₂-, *ǵr̥h₂-, *ǵrē- (“to mature, to ripen, to grow old”) with an extra element -no-, probably an adjectivizer. In Eastern Baltic, this word narrowed its meaning from “grain” to only one kind of grain, “pea.” Cognates include Lithuanian žìrnis, Old Prussian syrnea (“grain”), Old Church Slavonic зрьно (zrĭno, “grain”), Old Irish grán, Persian خرمن‎ (xarman), Gothic 𐌺𐌰𐌿𐍂𐌽 (kaurn), Latin grānum.[1]

• IPA^(key): [zīɾnis]

zirnis m (2nd declension)

1. pea (several plants of the family Fabaceae, especially Pisium sativum)

   dārza zirnis ― garden pea

   lauka zirnis ― field pea

   sējas zirnis ― sowing pea (Pisum sativum)

2. pea (the grain of these plants, especially Pisum sativum)

   zirņu pāksts ― pea pod

   lobīt zirņus ― to shuck, shell peas (pea pods)

   kaltēt zirņus ― to dry peas

   pelēkie zirņi ar speķi ― gray peas with bacon

   zirņu zupa ― pea soup