vēzis
Latvian
Etymology
There are various opinions about the origin of this word. Some derive it from the verb vēzēt (“to swing quickly (from one side to the other)”), or from the verb vēzt (“to drag (sideways, back)”); others relate it to Lithuanian verb vóžti (“to shut, to cover”); others compare it to Sanskrit वाह्यकी (vāhyakī), वाहक (vāhaka, “some poisonous insect”). Cognates include Lithuanian vėžỹs.[1]
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): [vɛ̂ːzis]
Audio: (file)
Noun
vēzis m (2nd declension)
- (crustacean) crayfish
- jūras vēži ― sea crayfish
- upes vēži ― river crayfish
- purva vēzis ― swamp crayfish
- sarkans kā vārīts vēzis ― red as a boiled crayfish
- velkas kā vēzis ― (it) drags itself like a crayfish (= slowly)
- (medicine, pathology) cancer (disease characterized by uncontrolled cellular growth)
- kuņģa, plaušu, krūts vēzis ― stomach, lungs, breast cancer
- vēža slimnieks ― cancer patient
- (botany) plant disease characterized by growths on the trunk or roots
- āboliņa vēzis ― clover cancer
- augļu koku vēzis ― fruit tree cancer
- kartupeļu vēzis ― potato cancer
Declension
| singular | plural | |
|---|---|---|
| nominative | vēzis | vēži |
| genitive | vēža | vēžu |
| dative | vēzim | vēžiem |
| accusative | vēzi | vēžus |
| instrumental | vēzi | vēžiem |
| locative | vēzī | vēžos |
| vocative | vēzi | vēži |
Related terms
- Vēzis (Zodiac sign)
References
- ^ Karulis, Konstantīns (1992) “vēzis”, in Latviešu Etimoloģijas Vārdnīca [Latvian Etymological Dictionary][1] (in Latvian), Rīga: AVOTS, →ISBN