tālrunis

Latvian

 tālrunis on Latvian Wikipedia

Etymology

From tāls (“far”) +‎ runa (“talk”), made into a masculine 2nd-declension noun (ending -is). Apparently a calque of German Fernsprecher, itself a calque of French téléphone, a word coined in the 1830s from two Ancient Greek elements, τῆλε (têle, “afar”) and φωνή (phōnḗ, “voice, sound”).

Pronunciation

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Noun

tālrunis m (2nd declension)

1. telephone set, phone (electronic device used for communication between two people)

   pacelt, nocelt tālruņa klausuli ― to pick up the telephone receiver

   Seržant, jūsu kabinetā zvana tālrunis! ― sergeant, the phone is ringing in your office!

   tūlīt no stacijas viņa iezavnīja uz māju, bet neviens pie tālruņa nepienāca ― she immediately called home from the station, but nobody came to the phone

2. telephone (that part of a telephone set that converts electrical impulses into sound)

   paziņot pa tālruni ― to report by telephone

   viņš tālrunī visādi izrunājās ar mani, bet, kad ir izdevība pabūt aci pret aci, tad vienaldzīgi aiziet ― he talks with me in all ways (= about everything) on the phone, but when there is a chance to be together face to face (lit. eye to eye), then he leaves indifferently

3. telephone number

   “labi, piezvaniet man rīt pat,” un Birgita pateica savas darba vietas tālruni ― “OK, do call me tomorrow,” and Birgita told (him) her workplace phone (number)

Declension

Synonyms

• telefons

Derived terms

• mobilais tālrunis