vilciens

Latvian

Etymology

From vilk(t) (“to pull”) +‎ -iens (with k > c palatalization) by analogy with German ziehen (“to pull”), Zug (“train”). The sense “train” originated at the end of the 19th century and became frequent in the 20th century, replacing a previous borrowing bānis, from German Bahn (“way”), Eisenbahn (“railway”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [vìlciens]

• Audio:

  (file)

Noun

Vilciens (2)

vilciens m (1st declension)

1. one-off event of dragging, pulling, drawing, or its result

   otas, zīmuļa, spalvas vilciens ― a stroke of a brush, pencil, pen

   gleznotājs glezno plašiem vilcieniem ― the painter paints with broad strokes

   rokraksta vilciens ― a handwritten stroke (e.g., part of a letter)

   elpas vilciens ― one breath (lit. breath stroke)

   dzert gariem vilcieniem ― to drink in long gulps

2. train (line of connected railroad cars pulled by a locomotive)

   braukt ar vilcienu ― to travel by train

   tālsatiksmes vilciens ― long-distance train

   piepilsētas vilciens ― commuter train

   elektriskais vilciens ― electric train

   pasta, preču, vilciens ― post, goods train

   smagsvara vilciens ― heavy freight train

   pasažieru, tūristu vilciens ― passenger, tourist train

   vilcienu saraksts ― train timetable

   vilciena kupeja ― train compartment

   vilciena pavadonis ― train attendant

   nokavēt vilcienu ― to miss the train

3. a characteristic feature

   iezīmīgs vilciens rakstnieka prozā ― a typical feature in the writer's prose

   mīlestība uz kokiem ir viens no dziļākiem vilcieniem Blaumaņa dvēselē ― love of trees is one of the deepest features in Blaumanis' soul

Declension

Declension of vilciens (1st declension)

	singular (vienskaitlis)	plural (daudzskaitlis)
nominative (nominatīvs)	vilciens	vilcieni
accusative (akuzatīvs)	vilcienu	vilcienus
genitive (ģenitīvs)	vilciena	vilcienu
dative (datīvs)	vilcienam	vilcieniem
instrumental (instrumentālis)	vilcienu	vilcieniem
locative (lokatīvs)	vilcienā	vilcienos
vocative (vokatīvs)	vilcien	vilcieni

Derived terms

• bruņuvilciens, bruņu vilciens