lapsa

See also: lapsā and Lapsa

Albanian

Noun

lapsa

1. indefinite nominative/accusative plural of laps

Latin

Participle

lāpsa

1. inflection of lāpsus:
   1. nominative/vocative feminine singular
   2. nominative/accusative/vocative neuter plural

Participle

lāpsā

1. ablative feminine singular of lāpsus

Latvian

Lapsa

Etymology

From earlier *lapesa, from Proto-Baltic *lap- (< *wlap-, *wlop-) with an extra element *-eš (< *-eḱ), from Proto-Indo-European *wlp-, *lup-, *lop-, *h₂wl(o)p, *h₂ulp, ultimately from the stem *wel- (“to pluck; to steal, to plunder; to tear”), whence also vilks (“wolf”), q.v.). The original meaning was, as in the case of vilks, also “thief,” “tearer.”

Cognates include Latgalian lopsa, Lithuanian lãpė, Old Prussian lape, Sudovian łaps, Breton louarn, Ancient Greek ἀλώπηξ (alṓpēx), Sanskrit लोपाश (lopāśa, “fox, jackal”), Latin volpēs, Khotanese [script needed] (rrūvāsa), Armenian աղվես (aġves), Persian روباه (rubâh) and probably Proto-Slavic *lisa.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [lapsa]

• Audio:

  (file)

Noun

lapsa f (4th declension)

1. fox (esp. Vulpes vulpes)

   sarkanā lapsa ― red fox

   lapsas āda ― fox skin, fur

   lapsu medības ― fox hunting

   viltīgs kā lapsa ― cunning as a fox

   lapsas ir veikli dzīvnieki, tās labi prot izvairīties no briesmām un iegūt laupījumu ― foxes are crafty animals, they know well how to avoid danger and get prey

2. (figuratively) fox, old fox (a cunning person)

   ar ziņojumiem par puiku nemieriem skolu inspektors Valmierā tikai pats grib tikt labākā vietā... vai nu kurators Rīgā lai būtu tāds āpsis un ticētu Valmieras lapsai? ― with reports of unrest among the boys the school inspector in Valmiera only wanted to get a better position... or would the curator in Riga be a badger and believe the Valmieran fox?

Declension

Declension of lapsa (4th declension)

	singular	plural
nominative	lapsa	lapsas
genitive	lapsas	lapsu
dative	lapsai	lapsām
accusative	lapsu	lapsas
instrumental	lapsu	lapsām
locative	lapsā	lapsās
vocative	lapsa	lapsas

Derived terms

• lapsene
• lapsēns