From pats (“self”) + skan(ēt) (“to sound”), made into a 2nd-declension noun (ending -is). A calque of German Selbstlaut (“vowel”) coined by Atis Kronvalds in the 1860s (initially as pašskanis). It competed with, and eventually replaced, other coinages such as G. F. Stenders' skandinieks, K. Biezbārdis' skanis, or A. Stērste's balsskanis. There was some variation (patskanis, pašskaņa, patskaņa) until the early 20th century. After J. Endzelīns' and K. Mīlenbahs' 1907 Latviešu Gramatika, the form patskanis stabilized. It became accepted as a standard linguistic term in the 1920s.
patskanis m (2nd declension)
singular (vienskaitlis) | plural (daudzskaitlis) | |
---|---|---|
nominative (nominatīvs) | patskanis | patskaņi |
accusative (akuzatīvs) | patskani | patskaņus |
genitive (ģenitīvs) | patskaņa | patskaņu |
dative (datīvs) | patskanim | patskaņiem |
instrumental (instrumentālis) | patskani | patskaņiem |
locative (lokatīvs) | patskanī | patskaņos |
vocative (vokatīvs) | patskani | patskaņi |