gredzens

Latvian

Laulības gredzens (1)

Koka gredzeni (3)

Dūmu gredzeni (3)

Etymology

From an earlier (unattested) Latvian adjective *gregs (“turned, twisted, woven”) or noun *gred(z)is (“bay, bent”) (cf. place names like Gredzups) +‎ -ens, from a verb *gregt (“to turn, to twist, to weave, to braid”), from Proto-Baltic *greg-, from Proto-Indo-European *gerg-, *greg-, from a stem *ger- (“to turn, to twist”) (whence also griezt (“to turn”), q.v.) with an extra -g. The original meaning was “turned, bent, woven thing” > “round woven thing (like a wreath)” > “ring.” Cognates include Old Prussian graudis (corrected to grandis), Old Norse krākr (“bending, bay, hook”), Middle English crinkled (“turned, twisted”), English crinkle, Dutch krinkel (“loop, noose”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ɡɾædzæns]

• Audio:

  (file)

Noun

gredzens m (1st declension)

1. ring (round piece of metal worn around the finger as a jewel or as a symbol)

   gredzens ar dārgakmeni ― ring with a precious stone

   zelta, briljanta, rubīna gredzens ― golden, diamond, ruby ring

   dāvināt gradzenu ― to give a ring

   laulības gredzens ― a wedding ring

   Vilma savu laulības gredzenu bija atstājusi mājās, jo tā tikai tāda veca mode: staigāt visur ar riņķi pirkstā ― Vilma had left her wedding ring home, because that was just an old fashion: to go everywhere with the ring in (one's) finger

   ikdienas rota senlatviešiem bija gredzeni... tos nēsāja uz abu roku visiem pirkstiem, izņemot īkšķi... bieži vien vienu pirkstu rotāja pat vairāki gredzeni ― rings were an everyday ornament of ancient Latvians... they wore them on all fingers of both hands, except for the thumb... often (they) adorned one finger with several rings

2. ring (round piece of metal covering another circular or cylindrical object)

   virzuļa gredzens ― piston ring

   noņemt putnam no kājas gredzenu ― to remove the ring from a bird's legs

3. ring (something with the form of a ring (1, 2) or spiral)

   koka gadskārtu gredzeni ― tree annual rings

   Saturna gredzeni ― Saturn's rings

   nervu gredzens ― nerve ring

   izpūst gaisā dūmu gredzenus ― to blow smoke rings in the air

   (sa)griezt gredzenā ― to cut (something) in a circle (= creating a circular or spiral shape)

   čūska saritinājās gredzenā ― the snake rolled itself up into a ring

4. (literature) circle, circular (principle for composing works of art so that their end is equal or similar to their beginning)

   romāns radīts pēc gredzena principā ― a roman written according to the principle of circularity

Declension

Declension of gredzens (1st declension)

	singular	plural
nominative	gredzens	gredzeni
genitive	gredzena	gredzenu
dative	gredzenam	gredzeniem
accusative	gredzenu	gredzenus
instrumental	gredzenu	gredzeniem
locative	gredzenā	gredzenos
vocative	gredzen	gredzeni

Synonyms

• riņķis

Derived terms

• virzuļa gredzens