English

Noun

kails

1. plural of kail

Latvian

Etymology

From Proto-Baltic *kail-, from *koil-, the o-grade (plus an extra -l) of Proto-Indo-European *kei-, *skei- ‎(“to cut, to divide, to separate”). For the meaning change, compare Ancient Greek δέρω ‎(dérō, “to skin, to flay”), δέρμα ‎(dérma, “skin”), then from “skin” to “bare, naked.” Cognates include Lithuanian káilis ‎(“skin”).^[1]

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [kaîls]

Adjective

kails (def. kailais, comp. kailāks, sup. viskailākais; adv. kaili)

1. naked, nude, bare (without clothes on)

   kails bērns‎ ― naked child

   kailas kājas‎ ― bare feet

   izģērbties kailam‎ ― to strip naked

2. bald (without hair)

   kails galvvidus‎ ― bald crown (of head)

3. (about trees, bushes, plants) without leaves, without further growth (branches, twigs, bark)

   lapu koki kļuvuši kaili‎ ― the leaf trees have become bald, leafless

   tur tad cauri ūdenim redzēja pelēku, kailu stumbru‎ ― then there through the water they saw a gray, naked trunk

4. without plants, without plant life, vegetation; without trees or plants nearby

   saules staros izdegusi kaila zeme‎ ― earth burned naked by sun rays

   kailas ēkas‎ ― naked buildings (without green areas)

   kaili mūri‎ ― naked walls

5. (about winter) without, or with little, snow

   kaila ziema‎ ― bald (i.e., snowless) winter

6. (about rooms, spaces) naked (without or with little furniture; without comfort)

   kaila grīda‎ ― naked floor (not covered)

   vakarā pa krēslu viņa skatījās kailās, netīras istabas‎ ― in the evening, (sitting) on the chair, she looked at the naked, dirty rooms

7. (about places, areas) undeveloped

   viņiem taču te būs jāsāk kailā vietā‎ ― but they will have to start (their carrers) here, in this naked place

8. bare (by itself, without anything in addition to it)

   mēs esam spiestas pārtikt no kailās cietuma devas‎ ― we are forced to live on bare prison food

9. bald (without justification or evidence; inconclusive)

   kails apgalvojums‎ ― bald (= unfounded) assertion

10. naked (without explanation, without illustrative material)

    kaili fakti, skaitļi‎ ― naked facts, figures

11. naked (thinly disguised, or undisguised; easy to see or read)

    kails egoisms‎ ― naked selfishness

    kaila nabadzība‎ ― naked poverty

Declension

Synonyms

• pliks

Derived terms

• kailums

References

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