Latvian

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 purvs on Latvian Wikipedia
 
Purvs

Alternative forms

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Etymology

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The origin of this word is unclear. Some compare it to Lower Sorbian para (filth, dung), Polabian poro (filth, dung; swamp, bog) (assuming that o < *uo < ), from a stem *pōr- to which an extra v or vo was added. Others relate purvs to Ancient Greek πυρρός (purrhós, red, pink, brownish red), Sanskrit पुरीषम् (púrīṣam, filth, dung), परुष (paruṣa, spotted, speckled), pointing out that it often happens in Indo-European languages that "swamp" and "red" are related terms (e.g., from Proto-Slavic *ruda (red), Polish ruda (ore, peat, swamp), Ukrainian руда́ (rudá, ore, swamp)), probably because of the reddish-brown color of swamp waters. Cognates include Lithuanian pur̃vas (filth, dirt), Sudovian puro (swamp).[1]

Pronunciation

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Noun

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purvs m (1st declension)

  1. swamp, bog, marsh, morass (low wetland with a layer of accumulated peat)
    kūdras, sūnu purvspeat, moss bog
    staigns purvsmiry bog
    nosusināt purvuto drain the swamp
    purva augsneswampy soil
    purva dūņasbog mud, sludge
    purva kūdraswamp, marsh peat
    purva arklsswamp plow
    purva gázeswamp gas (= methane)
    purva drudzisswamp fever (= malaria)
    purva bērzsbog birch
    purva vardemarsh frog
    brist pa purvuto wade through the swamp, bog
    lasīt purvā dzērvenesto gather cranberries in the swamp
    naktī pār purvu skrēja purva sloka... atvērtu knābi tā šāvās no vienas malas uz otru, rijot knišļusat night the swamp woodcock runs all over the swamp... it swings its open beak from side to side, swallowing small flies
  2. (figuratively) swamp (hard, difficult circumstances)
    nogrimt purvāto sink in the swamp (= to be in difficult circumstances)
    elpu! elpu!... man šinī purvā jānosmok!.. ak, kaut es spētu nokratīt šo dzīviair! air!... I have to stifle in this swamp!... oh, if only I could shake off this life

Declension

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Synonyms

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Derived terms

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References

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  1. ^ Karulis, Konstantīns (1992) “purvs”, in Latviešu Etimoloģijas Vārdnīca[1] (in Latvian), Rīga: AVOTS, →ISBN