spalva

See also: spalvā

Latvian

Spalva (1)

Spalva (3)

Etymology

From Proto-Baltic *spalwā, from Proto-Indo-European *pel-, *spʰel- (“to split, cast off”) with a w extension. Alternatively, *spalu- may simply have been a u-stem noun, later transformed into an ā-stem noun: *spalu-ā- > *spalvā-. The original meaning was probably “that which was torn off, plucked, shorn.” Cognates include Lithuanian spalvà (“color”) (“color” meaning is a secondary development), Sudovian spiła.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [spālva]

Noun

spalva f (4th declension)

1. feather (branching, hair-like structure that covers the skin of birds; a feather covering)

   pīlu, vistu, baložu spalvas ― duck, chicken, pigeon feathers

   raibas spalvas ― speckled feathers

   mest spalvas ― to change (lit. throw) feathers, to moult

   plūkt, plucināt spalvas ― to pluck feathers

   spalvu sega ― feather blanket, duvet

   spalvu mākoņi ― cirrus clouds (lit. feather clouds)

2. fur, hair; a covering of hair (on mammals)

   zirgam gluda, spoža spalva ― the horse has smooth, shiny hair

   spalvām apaugušas rokas, kājas ― hands, feet covered, overgrown with hair

   mākslīga spalva ― artificial, synthetic fur

   liels suns, gludu spalvu, tumši brūns kā kastanis ― a big dog, (with) smooth fur, dark brown like a chestnut

   truši met spalvu, t. i., mati izkrīt un to vietā izaug jauni ― rabbits shed their fur, i.e., their hairs fall off and on the same place new ones grow

3. quill, pen (especially to be used as a writing instrument)

   noasināta zoss spalva ― a sharpened goose quill

   rakstāmspalva ― writing pen, nib

   pildspalva ― writing pen

   rupja, smalka spalva ― coarse, fine pen

   iemērkt spalvu tintē, tušā ― to dip the pen in ink

   pirmais spalvas mēģinājums ― the first attempt at the pen (= at writing, by a new author)

Usage notes

In the “writing implement” sense, pildspalva is the usual term, spalva being usually reserved for special, or old-fashioned, pens (especially feather pens) or for metaphorical uses.

Declension

Declension of spalva (4th declension)

	singular (vienskaitlis)	plural (daudzskaitlis)
nominative (nominatīvs)	spalva	spalvas
accusative (akuzatīvs)	spalvu	spalvas
genitive (ģenitīvs)	spalvas	spalvu
dative (datīvs)	spalvai	spalvām
instrumental (instrumentālis)	spalvu	spalvām
locative (lokatīvs)	spalvā	spalvās
vocative (vokatīvs)	spalva	spalvas

Synonyms

• (of "hair, fur"): mati

Derived terms

• pildspalva
• rakstāmspalva
• spalvains
• spalvu mākonis, spalvmākonis

Lithuanian

Picture dictionary

spalva

raudonas

oranžinis

geltonas

žalias

mėlynas

violetinis

juodas

pilkas

baltas

Click on labels in the image

Etymology

From Proto-Balto-Slavic *spalwā, from Proto-Indo-European *(s)p(h)el- (“to split, cast off”), with a w extension. Alternatively, *spalu- may simply have been a u-stem noun, later transformed into an ā-stem noun: *spalu-ā- > *spalvā-. The original meaning was probably “that which was torn off, plucked, shorn.” Cognates include Latvian spalva (“feather, fur”), Nareva Baltic spiła; the “color” meaning is a secondary development, from “feather, fur.”

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [spɐlˈvɐ]

Noun

spalvà f (plural spal̃vos) stress pattern 4

1. colour, color

Declension

Declension of spalvà

	singular (vienaskaita)	plural (daugiskaita)
nominative (vardininkas)	spalvà	spal̃vos
genitive (kilmininkas)	spalvõs	spalvų̃
dative (naudininkas)	spal̃vai	spalvóms
accusative (galininkas)	spal̃vą	spalvàs
instrumental (įnagininkas)	spalvà	spalvomìs
locative (vietininkas)	spalvojè	spalvosè
vocative (šauksmininkas)	spal̃va	spal̃vos

Samogitian

Noun

spalva f (plural spalvas)

1. color, colour