ērce

ērce f

1. mite

Cognate with Lithuanian érkė, from Proto-Baltic *erkyā- (with er̄ > ē:r), of disputed origin, but possibly from Proto-Indo-European *h₁er- (“to tear, to pierce”) (whence also ērkšķis (“thorn”), q.v.) with an extra -(e)k. The original meaning would then have been “one who pierces, tears.” Possible Indo-European cognates include Sanskrit ऋक्षरः (r̥kṣaraḥ, “sting, thorn, spike”), रक्षः (rákṣaḥ, “harm”), Ancient Greek ἐρέχτω (erékhtō, “to tear, to claw”), Latin ricinus (“tick”).^[1] However, the velar consonants do not all match, and assuming separate extensions is unparsimonious. See also Proto-Slavic *ràkъ ~ *òrkъ (“crayfish”),^[2] which along with the Baltic cognates may point to substrate origin.^[3]

• IPA^(key): [ɛ̄ːɾtsɛ]

ērce f (5th declension)

1. tick, mite (numerous species of tiny arachnids of subclass Acari that live as parasites on various plants and animals)

   kamēr zirgs dzēra, zemniek izrāva ērci, kas bija piezīdušies kaklam ― while the horse drank, the farmer removed the tick that had been sucking at the (horse's) neck

   atgulās tīfu var pārnest arī ērces ― also mites can transmit typhus