zaļš

See also: žals

Latvian

Etymology

From Proto-Baltic *zel-, *zal-, from Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰelh₃- (to shine), whence also zelts (gold) and several other color terms (e.g., zils, dzeltens). In fact, the color meaning of this term was at first not as specific as it is today: compare the dialectal variant zals (brown, reddish-yellow, light red), and also several borrowings from Baltic languages: Estonian haljas (bright, shiny, shiny green) (< *žaļas), Finnish haljakka (pale, pale gray). Under the influence of zāle (grass), its meaning stabilized as “green.” Cognates include Lithuanian žãlias, Old Prussian saligan (zaljan, zalgan?), Old Church Slavonic зеленъ (zelenŭ), Russian зелёный (zeljónyj), Bulgarian зелен (zelén), Czech zelený, Polish zielony.[1]

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): [zaʎʃ]

Adjective

Zaļš

zaļš (zaļais comparative, zaļāks superlative, viszaļākais adverb, zaļi)

  1. green (having the color typical of, e.g., grass and leaves in summer)
    gaiši, tumši zaļšlight, dark green
    dzeltenīgi zaļšyellow(ish) green
    zaļas lapasgreen leaves
    zaļa gaismagreen light
    zaļa zīda kleitagreen silk dress
    zaļais siersgreen cheese
  2. green, greenish (having a tone or hue similar to green when compared to other related element)
    zaļā varde, krupisgreen frog, toad
    zaļā sūnagreen moss
    zaļā tējagreen tea
  3. (of people's faces) pale, unhealthy color
    viņš necieš jūras; kā uzpūš stingrāks vējš, tā paliek zaļš ģīmī un vemjhe can't suffer the sea; when the wind blows stronger, his face becomes green and he vomits
  4. (of plants) green (which is growing, developing; having leaves, needles, grass)
    zaļi asnigreen sprouts
    zaļš koksgreen tree
    zaļš tīrumsgreen field
    zaļa pļavagreen meadow
    zaļā vasaragreen summer
  5. (of fruits, berries) green, not ripe; (of wood) not ready to burn
    zaļš ābolsgreen apple
    siens vēl ir zaļšthe hay is still green
    'malka bija zaļa un negribēja degtthe wood was green and did not want to burn
  6. uncooked, raw
    zaļa gaļaraw, uncooked meat
    'ēst zaļus burkānus, kāpostusto eat raw carrots, cabbage
  7. new, unexperienced
    puisis vēl ir zaļšthe guy is still green (= unexperienced)
  8. untroubled, trouble-free carefree
    nu sāksies zaļa dzīvenow begins the untroubled life
    pienāca zaļas dienasthe carefree days have come

Declension

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), zaļš”, in Latviešu Etimoloģijas Vārdnīca (in Latvian), Rīga: AVOTS, →ISBN
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