melns

Latvian

Etymology

From Proto-Baltic *mel(n)- (black, blue), from Proto-Indo-European *mel- (dark, red, dirty). Cognates include Lithuanian mė́lynas (blue), Old Prussian melne (bruise), Gothic mēla (mēla, writing characters), Old High German mālōn (to paint, to draw), German malen (to paint), Sanskrit मल (mala, dirty), Ancient Greek μέλας (mélas, black, dark) (< *melans), Latin mulleus (reddish) (< *mulneyos).[1]

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): [mǣlns]
(file)

Adjective

Melns

melns (melnais comparative, melnāks superlative, vismelnākais adverb, melni)

  1. black (the color of something that absorbs all light and reflects none)
    absolūti melnsabsolutely black
    melna tāfeleblack board
    melns mākonisblack cloud
    melni matiblack hair
    melns kā ogle, kā naktsblack as coal, as the night
    melnais kontinentsthe black continent (= Africa)
    dāma melnālady (dressed) in black
  2. black (much darker than the average of its kind)
    melnā dzilnablack woodpecker
    melnā žurkablack rat
    melnā priedeblack pine
    melnais diamantsblack diamond
    melnā tējablack tea
    melna kafijablack coffee
  3. Black (a person of dark skin color)
    melns kungsa Black gentleman
    melnā rasethe Black race
    melnie iezemiešithe Black natives
  4. dirty, smudged with something black or dark
    melna muteblack, dirty mouth
    melnas rokasblack, dirty hands
  5. (definite form) dark (wrong, objectionable, unlawful)
    melnā varadark power
    melnā maģijablack magic
    melnais sarakstsblack list
    melnais tirgusblack market

Declension

Antonyms

Derived terms

See also
Colors in Latvian · krāsas (layout · text)
     balts      pelēks      melns
             sarkans, sārts              oranžs ; brūns              dzeltens
                          zaļš             
                                       zils
                          violets              rozā

References

  1. Karulis, Konstantīns (1992), melns”, in Latviešu Etimoloģijas Vārdnīca (in Latvian), Rīga: AVOTS, →ISBN
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