vēdzele

See also: vēdzelē

Latvian

Saldūdens vēdzele

Jūras vēdzele

Alternative forms

• (dialectal form) vēzele

Etymology

The origin of this word is unclear. One suggestion links it, because of the burbot's moist, slimy skin, to Old Norse vǫkr, Ancient Greek ὑγρός (hugrós), Latin ūvidus (“moist, wet”), from Proto-Indo-European *wegʷ- (“wet, to water”), with the gʷ changing to g (so as to yield Latvian dz). Another suggestion is that, if zivs (“fish”) is from Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰew-, *gʰew-, *ǵʰēw-, *gʰēw- (see zivs), then metathesis could have created the forms *wēǵʰ-, *wēgʰ-, leading to Proto-Baltic *wēž-, *wēdz-, from which Latin vēdzele, dialectal vēzele. Cognates include Lithuanian vėgėlė̃.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [vɛ̂ːdzɛlɛ]

Noun

vēdzele f (5th declension)

1. burbot (two fish species)

   saldūdens vēdzele ― freshwater burbot (Lota lota)

   jūras vēdzele, jūrasvēdzele ― (four-bearded) rockling (lit. sea burbot; Enchelyopus cimbrius)

Declension

Declension of vēdzele (5th declension)

	singular	plural
nominative	vēdzele	vēdzeles
genitive	vēdzeles	vēdzeļu
dative	vēdzelei	vēdzelēm
accusative	vēdzeli	vēdzeles
instrumental	vēdzeli	vēdzelēm
locative	vēdzelē	vēdzelēs
vocative	vēdzele	vēdzeles