melns

Latvian

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melns

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Etymology

From Proto-Baltic *mel(n)- (“black, blue”), from Proto-Indo-European *mel- (“dark, red, dirty”). Cognates include Lithuanian mė́lynas (“blue”), Old Prussian melne (“bruise”), Gothic mēla (“writing characters”), Old High German mālōn (“to paint, to draw”), German malen (“to paint”), Sanskrit मल (mala, “dirty”), Ancient Greek μέλας (mélas, “black, dark”) (< *melans), Latin mulleus (“reddish”) (< *mulneyos).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key):

Adjective

melns (definite melnais, comparative melnāks, superlative vismelnākais, adverb melni)

1. black (the color of something that absorbs all light and reflects none)

   absolūti melns ― absolutely black

   melna tāfele ― black board

   melns mākonis ― black cloud

   melni mati ― black hair

   melns kā ogle, kā nakts ― black as coal, as the night

   melnais kontinents ― the black continent (= Africa)

   dāma melnā ― lady (dressed) in black

2. black (much darker than the average of its kind)

   melnā dzilna ― black woodpecker (Dryocopus martius)

   melnā žurka ― black rat (Rattus rattus)

   melnā priede ― black pine (Pinus nigra)

   melnais diamants ― black diamond

   melnā tēja ― black tea

   melna kafija ― black coffee

3. Black (of a person: of dark skin color)

   melns kungs ― a Black gentleman

   melnā rase ― the Black race

   melnie iezemieši ― the Black natives

4. dirty, smudged with something black or dark

   melna mute ― black, dirty mouth

   melnas rokas ― black, dirty hands

5. (definite form) dark (wrong, objectionable, unlawful)

   melnā vara ― dark power

   melnā maģija ― black magic

   melnais saraksts ― black list

   melnais tirgus ― black market

Declension

Antonyms

• balts

Derived terms

• iemelns, melnīgs, melngans
• melnais mežastrazds
• melnums

Related terms

• melnis

See also

References