briedis

See also: Briedis

Latvian

Briedis

Etymology

From Proto-Balto-Slavic *bréidis, from Proto-Indo-European *bʰreydʰ-, together with a variant *bʰrent-, both from the stem *bʰer (“to swell”) (whence also briest (“to swell”), q.v.). The meaning apparently changed as follows: “swollen, big” > “having a big, well-developed body” > “strong, imposing (animal).” At first this word apparently referred to elks, and only later to deer; the meaning “elk” is still found in folklore. Cognates include Lithuanian bri̇́edis (“elk”), Old Prussian braydis (“elk”) (< *breidis), Sudovian brid (“deer”), Elfdalian brinde (“elk”), Messapic brénthon (“elk, deer”) (< *brénton), Messapic bréndon (“deer”), Albanian bri (“horn, antler”), Thracian toponym Brendike, Swedish brinde (“elk”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈbɾiɛ̂dis]

• Audio:

  (file)

Noun

briêdis m (2nd declension)

1. deer, stag (especially Dama dama)

   brieža ragi ― deer antlers

   brieža medības ― deer hunting

   briežu mātīte ― female deer

   stalts kā briedis ― tall, stately like a deer

Declension

Declension of briedis (2nd)

	singular (vienskaitlis)	plural (daudzskaitlis)
nominative	briedis	brieži
genitive	brieža	briežu
dative	briedim	briežiem
accusative	briedi	briežus
instrumental	briedi	briežiem
locative	briedī	briežos
vocative	briedi	brieži

Derived terms

• staltbriedis
• ziemeļbriedis

Lithuanian

Etymology

From Proto-Balto-Slavic *bréidis, from a Proto-Indo-European *bʰreydʰ- (“elk, deer”). Cognate with Latvian briêdis (“elk”), Old Prussian braydis (“elk”) (< *breidis); outside of Baltic, cognate with Sudovian brid (“deer”), Elfdalian brinde (“elk”), Swedish brinde (“elk”), Ancient Greek βρένδος (bréndos, “deer”) (from Messapic), Albanian bri (“horn, antler”). Various formally and semantically unconvincing proposals have been given to derive these words from a Proto-Indo-European verbal formation.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈbʲrʲîə.dʲɪs/

Noun

bri̇́edis m stress pattern 1

1. elk (UK), moose (US), Alces alces

Declension

Declension of bri̇́edis

	singular (vienaskaita)	plural (daugiskaita)
nominative (vardininkas)	bri̇́edis	bri̇́edžiai
genitive (kilmininkas)	bri̇́edžio	bri̇́edžių
dative (naudininkas)	bri̇́edžiui	bri̇́edžiams
accusative (galininkas)	bri̇́edį	bri̇́edžius
instrumental (įnagininkas)	bri̇́edžiu	bri̇́edžiais
locative (vietininkas)	bri̇́edyje	bri̇́edžiuose
vocative (šauksmininkas)	bri̇́edi	bri̇́edžiai