dzērve

From Proto-Baltic *gerwē-, from Proto-Indo-European *gerHw-, derived from *ger-, *gerh₂-, used to form words that represent or imitate harsh bird sounds. The long vowel results from an intonational change: er̄ > ēr. Cognates include Lithuanian gérvė, Old Prussian gerwe, Sudovian gerwe (“stork”), Proto-Slavic *žeravъ < *geravъ (Russian жура́вль (žurávlʹ) < жера́вль (žerávlʹ), Belarusian жура́ў (žuráŭ), жураве́ль (žuravjélʹ), Ukrainian жура́в (žuráv), жураве́ль (žuravélʹ), Bulgarian же́рав (žérav), Czech žeráv, Polish żuraw), Old High German kranuh, German Kranich, Ancient Greek γέρην (gérēn), γέρανος (géranos), Latin grūs.^[1]

• IPA^(key): [dzɛ̄ːɾvɛ]

• Audio:

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dzērve f (5th declension)

1. crane (several species of birds, typically with long legs, belonging to the family Gruidae, especially Grus grus)

   dzērvju klaigas ― the clamor of cranes

   kā dzērves rindā ― like cranes in line (i.e., one after the other)

   dzērves ir ļoti gurdi un tramīgi putni ― cranes are very smart and skittish birds

   vēl purvos dzērves sauc, celdamās spārnos ― in the swamps the cranes still call, raising their wings