Japanese

Romanization

teika

1. rōmaji reading of ていか

Latvian

Etymology

From the same stem as the verb teikt ‎(“to say”) (q.v.). Dialectally and originally the meaning was “saying, talk.” The current meaning (corresponding to German Sage, Russian предание ‎(predanije)) appeared in the 1860's, perhaps under the influence of A. Kronvalds.^[1]

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [tēīka]

Noun

teika f (4th declension)

1. legend, tale (traditional folk narrative combining the real and the fantastic; the respective genre)

   latviešu tautas teika‎ ― a Latvian folk tale, legend

   teika par Dundagas pili‎ ― the legend of the Dundaga castle

   teika par Lāčplēsi‎ ― the legend of Lāčplēsis (the Bear-Slayer)

   vietu teikas‎ ― local legends, tales

   stāstīt teikas‎ ― to tell legends, tales

   sena teika stāsta, ka Sjerraleone (tulkojumā “Lauvu kalni”) dabūjusi savu nosaukumu no portugāļu jūras braucējiem‎ ― an old legend says that Sierra Leone (literally “Lion Mountains”) obtained its name from Portuguese sailors

Declension

Synonyms

• pasaka

Related terms

• teicējs, teicēja
• teikums

References

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