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Definition 2025

kreilis

kreilis

Latvian

Kreile

Noun

kreilis m (2nd declension, feminine form: kreile)

  1. (male) left-hander, left-handed man (someone who is better with his left hand than with his right hand)
    kreiļi dod priekšroku kreisajai rokai un kājai‎ ― left-handers give preference to (their) left hand and foot

Declension

Derived terms

Related terms

References

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

Etymology

From Proto-Indo-European *sker-, *ker-, *kr̥- ‎(“to turn, to bend”), changed to Proto-Baltic *krei-, with a suffix -r, giving rise to an adjective *kreiras > *kreilas (compare archaic adjective krails ‎(“bent, crooked”)) and a noun *kreiris. The meaning evolved from “bent, crooked” to “not strong, clumsy, weaker, less good,” hence “left (hand),” as opposed to the “good,” “able” right hand, and then to “left-hander.” Cognates include Lithuanian kairỹs ‎(“left-hander”) ( < *krairys).[1]

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): [kɾēīlis]

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