mākonis

Either from the verb mākties (“to become cloudy”) (q.v.) or from an earlier, 17th-century adjective mākons (“foggy, cloudy”). In the 18th century, mākonis still meant “(thunder)storm,” “rain cloud,” with debess being used for “cloud.” The present meaning became established in the 19th century.^[1]

mākonis m (2nd declension)

1. (chiefly in the plural) cloud (visible mass of water vapor or droplets suspended in the air)

   lietus, negaisa mākonis ― rain, storm cloud

   splavu, gubu mākoņi ― cirrus, cumulus clouds

   mākoņi sabiezē ― the clouds thickened

   debesis bez mākoņiem ― cloudless sky

   mākoņi aizsedz sauli ― the clouds obscure the sun

   lidmašīna paceļas virs mākoņiem ― the airplane takes off into the clouds

2. (chiefly in the plural) cloud (a cloud-like phenomenon, spreading in the air)

   dūmu mākonis ― smoke cloud

   sacelt putekļu mākonis ― to raise a dust cloud

Although the singular forms still exist, the plural forms (mākoņi, etc.) are much more frequently used.

• mākoņains
• gubu mākonis, gubumākonis
• spalvu mākonis, spalvmākonis

• debess