pelēks

Traditionally derived from pele (“mouse”) (q.v.), from Proto-Indo-European *pel- (“gray, pale”), with a suffix -ek, to refer to an inherent quality of mice. But maybe it was derived directly from *pel-, via a previous adjective *pels (whence the verb pelēt (“to grow moldy, mildewy”) and the dialectal form pelgans (“grayish”), yielding *pel(e)ks (compare 19th-century family name Peleks); the final vowel would then be lengthened by association with pele (“mouse”). Cognates include Lithuanian pilkas.^[1]

• IPA^(key): [pælæ̂ːks]

pelēks (definite pelēkais, comparative pelēkāks, superlative vispelēkākais, adverb pelēki)

1. gray (having the color of, e.g., ash; white with low brightness)

   pelēka krāsa ― gray color

   gaiši, tumši pelēks ― light, dark gray

   zvina pelēks ― lead gray

   pelēkas debesis ― gray sky

   pelēki mākoņi, migla ― gray cloud(s), mist

2. gray (having a tone or hue similar to gray when compared to other related elements)

   pelēkais strazds ― gray thrush, fieldfare

   pelēkā alva ― gray tin

   pelēkais čuguns ― gray cast iron

3. gray, cloudy

   pelēka diena, pelēks rīts ― gray day, gray morning

4. colorless, commonplace, uninteresting, unhealthy

   pelēka ikdiena ― gray (= uninteresting) everyday (life)

   pelēka masa ― gray (= undifferentiated) mass (of people)

   Seja slimniekam kļuvusi pelēka ― The patient's face turned gray.

• iepelēks, pelēcīgs, pelēkgans
• pelēkais strazds
• pelēkums