zilonis

Latvian

Etymology

Borrowed from Russian слон (slon) (itself probably a borrowing from Turkic), made into a 2nd-declension masculine noun (ending -is); the initial z apparently results from the influence of zils (“blue”). This word is first mentioned (as a 1st-declension masculine noun, zilons) in 19th-century dictionaries. It replaced previous borrowings like elevants, elefants, still in use well into the 19th century.[1]

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): [ziluònis]
  • Audio:(file)

Noun

zilonis m (2nd declension)

  1. elephant (fam. Elephantidae)
    ziloņu mātīte ― female elephant
    iet kā zilonis ― to walk as an elephant (= heavily, clumsily)
    ziloņu bars ― elephant herd

Declension

Declension of zilonis (2nd declension)
singular plural
nominative zilonis ziloņi
genitive ziloņa ziloņu
dative zilonim ziloņiem
accusative ziloni ziloņus
instrumental ziloni ziloņiem
locative zilonī ziloņos
vocative ziloni ziloņi

References

  1. ^ Karulis, Konstantīns (1992) “zilonis”, in Latviešu Etimoloģijas Vārdnīca [Latvian Etymological Dictionary]‎[1] (in Latvian), Rīga: AVOTS, →ISBN
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