Latvian

Proper noun

Lapsa m

1. A patronymic surname​.

Latin

Participle

lāpsa

1. nominative feminine singular of lāpsus
2. nominative neuter plural of lāpsus
3. accusative neuter plural of lāpsus
4. vocative feminine singular of lāpsus
5. vocative neuter plural of lāpsus

lāpsā

1. ablative feminine singular of lāpsus

Latvian

Lapsa

Etymology

From earlier *lapesa, from Proto-Baltic *lap- (< *wlap-, *wlop-) with an extra element *-eš (< *-eḱ), from Proto-Indo-European *wlp-, *lup-, *lop-, *h₂wl(o)p, *h₂ulp, ultimately from the stem *wel- ‎(“to pluck; to steal, to plunder; to tear”), whence also vilks ‎(“wolf”), q.v.). The original meaning was, as in the case of vilks, also “thief,” “tearer.” Cognates include Lithuanian lãpė, Old Prussian lape, Sudovian laps, Breton louarn, Ancient Greek ἀλώπηξ ‎(alṓpēx), Sanskrit लोपाशः ‎(lopāśaḥ, “fox, jackal”), Latin volpēs, Scythian raupāsa, Armenian աղվես ‎(ałves), Persian روباه ‎(rubâh).^[1]

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [lapsa]

Noun

lapsa f (4th declension)

1. fox (esp. Vulpes vulpes)

   sarkanā lapsa‎ ― red fox

   lapsas āda‎ ― fox skin, fur

   lapsu medības‎ ― fox hunting

   viltīgs kā lapsa‎ ― cunning as a fox

   lapsas ir veikli dzīvnieki, tās labi prot izvairīties no briesmām un iegūt laupījumu‎ ― foxes are crafty animals, they know well how to avoid danger and get prey

2. (figuratively) fox, old fox (a cunning person)

   ar ziņojumiem par puiku nemieriem skolu inspektors Valmierā tikai pats grib tikt labākā vietā... vai nu kurators Rīgā lai būtu tāds āpsis un ticētu Valmieras lapsai?‎ ― with reports of unrest among the boys the school inspector in Valmiera only wanted to get a better position... or would the curator in Riga be a badger and believe the Valmieran fox?

Declension

Derived terms

• lapsene
• lapsēns

References

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