Latgalian

Noun

zivs ?

1. fish

Latvian

Zivs

Zivs

Zivs

Zivs

Alternative forms

• (dialectal forms) zuvs, zuve

Etymology

Latvian zivs, dialectal zuvs, zuve, from Proto-Baltic *žuwis, from Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰeu-wi-s, *ǵʰu-wi-s, derived from Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰew- ‎(“fish”) (compare also homonymous Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰeu- ‎(“to pour”), *ǵʰēu-, *ǵʰəu- ‎(“to gape”)). Cognates include Lithuanian žuvìs ‎(“fish”), Old Prussian suckis ‎(zukis, “fish”). Some linguists (e.g., Pokorny) add Ancient Greek ἰχθύς ‎(ikhthús), Old Armenian ձուկն ‎(jukn), and reconstruct Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰdū-, *dʰǵʰu- ‎(“fish”), which seems less likely.^[1]

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ziws]

Noun

zivs f (6th declension)

1. fish (animal that lives in water, moving with fins and breathing with gills)

   jūras zivis‎ ― sea fish

   svaigas zivis‎ ― fresh fish

   saldētas zivis‎ ― frozen fish

   žāvēt zivis‎ ― to dry fish

   zivju dīķi‎ ― fish ponds

   zivju eļļa‎ ― fish oil

   zivju nārsts‎ ― fish spawning

   plēsīgās zivis‎ ― predatory fish

   zivju konservi‎ ― canned fish

   zivju ikri, spuras‎ ― fish eggs, fins

   saldūdens zivis‎ ― freshwater fish

   dziļūdens zivis‎ ― deep-water fish

   vilkt, zvejot zivis‎ ― to catch fish

   zivju rūpniecība‎ ― the fish(ing) industry

   kā zivs ūdenī‎ ― like a fish in water (= very comfortable)

   “vai te nav kāda upe tuvumā?” “ir; un tur ir daudz zivju” — “isn't there some river nearby?” “(yes,) there is; and there are a lot of fish there (= in it)”

Declension

Related terms

• zveja
• zvejnieks, zvejniece, zvejniecība

References

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