English

Noun

lops

1. plural of lop

Verb

lops

1. third-person singular simple present indicative form of lop

Anagrams

• pols, slop

Latvian

Lopi (aitas, govs)

Etymology

The origin of this word is unclear. Some derive it from Proto-Indo-European *lāp- ‎(“cow”), but the only basis for this reconstruction is the Albanian cognate. Others consider it related to Gothic 𐌻𐌰𐌼𐌱 ‎(lamb) (cf. German Lamm, English lamb), perhaps even a borrowing from a Germanic language. Yet others suggest that it comes from a putative Proto-Baltic *luop-, from Proto-Indo-European *leu- ‎(“to cut off, to separate”) with an extra -p, with the meaning evolving from “cut off” > “to hide, to skin, to flay” (cf. Lithuanian lùpti ‎(“to skin, to peel”)) > “hide, skin, fur, something made of fur” (cf. Hittite lupanni ‎(“hat”)) > “animal body part” (cf. Old Church Slavonic лъбьнъ ‎(lŭbĭnŭ), Serbo-Croatian lùbina ‎(“skull”)) > “animal.” The initial meaning of lops, still found dialectally, was more restricted, covering only goats, sheep and maybe cows. In the 18th and 19th century, the meaning was extended to almost all animals (= dzīvnieks), and later again restricted to its current range. Cognates include Lithuanian lúopas, lúobas ‎(“clumsy person or animal”), Albanian lopë ‎(“cow”) (< *lāpā).^[1]

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [lūōps]

Noun

lops m (1st declension)

1. livestock, (farm) animal (e.g., cattle, sheep, goats, horses, pigs, poultry, etc.)

   darba, piena, gaļas lopi‎ ― work, milk, meat animals

   lopu kūts‎ ― animal barn

   apkopt lopus‎ ― take care of the animals

   lopus līdz četriem noturēja kūtī un tad nodzina tepat lejā Spilvas ganībās‎ ― he kept the animal until four (years of age) in the barn and then took them down here to the Spilva pastures

Declension

Synonyms

• mājlops

Derived terms

• liellops
• mājlops

References

1. ↑ Karulis, Konstantīns (1992), “lops”, in Latviešu Etimoloģijas Vārdnīca (in Latvian), Rīga: AVOTS, ISBN 9984-700-12-7