ronis
Latvian
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a6/Grey_seal_Halichoerus_grypus_young.jpg/250px-Grey_seal_Halichoerus_grypus_young.jpg)
Etymology
From (deprecated template usage) [etyl] Proto-Baltic *ruon-, probably from (deprecated template usage) [etyl] Proto-Indo-European *rew-, *row- (“to run, to rush, to hurry”) with an extra n. The meaning evolution was probably: “run, hurry (together)” > “to be in a group, herd”, “to be fecund, to be fertile, to rut; to be cheerful, neat” > “neat, cheerful, fertile animal living in groups” > “seal.” Cognates include Lithuanian rúonis.[1]
Pronunciation
Noun
ronis m (2nd declension)
- seal (several species of mammals of the family Phocidae)
- roņu dzimte – the seal family (= Phocidae)
- roņu tauki – seal fat
- roņu mednieks – seal hunter
- pelēkais ronis – gray seal
- roņi parasti turas baros – seals usually stay in groups
- Ieva peldēja slikti, bet es ūdenī jutos kā ronis – Ieva swam badly, but I felt like a seal in water
Declension
Declension of ronis (2nd declension)
Derived terms
References
- ^ Karulis, Konstantīns (1992) “ronis”, in Latviešu Etimoloģijas Vārdnīca (in Latvian), Rīga: AVOTS, →ISBN