kreilis

Latvian

Kreile

Etymology

From Proto-Indo-European *sker-, *ker-, *kr̥- (“to turn, to bend”), changed to Proto-Baltic *krei-, with a suffix -r, giving rise to an adjective *kreiras > *kreilas (compare archaic adjective krails (“bent, crooked”)) and a noun *kreiris. The meaning evolved from “bent, crooked” to “not strong, clumsy, weaker, less good,” hence “left (hand),” as opposed to the “good,” “able” right hand, and then to “left-hander.” Cognates include Lithuanian kairỹs (“left-hander”) ( < *krairys).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [kɾēīlis]

• Audio:

  (file)

Noun

kreilis m (2nd declension, feminine form: kreile)

1. (male) left-hander, left-handed man (someone who is better with his left hand than with his right hand)

   kreiļi dod priekšroku kreisajai rokai un kājai ― left-handers give preference to (their) left hand and foot

Declension

Declension of kreilis (2nd declension)

	singular (vienskaitlis)	plural (daudzskaitlis)
nominative (nominatīvs)	kreilis	kreiļi
accusative (akuzatīvs)	kreili	kreiļus
genitive (ģenitīvs)	kreiļa	kreiļu
dative (datīvs)	kreilim	kreiļiem
instrumental (instrumentālis)	kreili	kreiļiem
locative (lokatīvs)	kreilī	kreiļos
vocative (vokatīvs)	kreili	kreiļi

Derived terms

• kreilība

Related terms

• kreiss