spogulis

From Proto-Baltic *speng-, *spang- (> *spuog-, +‎ -ulis), from Proto-Indo-European *sp(ʰ)eng (“to shine”). Originally a dialectal word with many variant forms, meaning “shine, gloss, sheen.” Atis Kronvalds introduced it in the literary language in the 1860s, first to mean “shiny surface (of water)” (ūdens-spogulis), from which it spread to its other current meanings (compare German Wasserspiegel). The word really entered the literary language after A. Pumpurs included it in his epic poem Lāčplēsis (“Bear-slayer”). It has mostly replaced a former German borrowing spieģelis.[1]

• IPA^(key): [spūōɡulis]

spogulis m (2nd declension)

1. mirror (smooth surface that reflects light so as to produce an image of what is in front of it)

   stikla, metāla spogulis ― glass, metal mirror

   'sienas, kabatas, galda spogulis ― wall, pocket, table mirror

   apskatīt sevi spogulī ― to look at oneself in the mirror

   viņa ķemmē matus un skatās spogulī ― she combs her hair and looks in the mirror

   greizais spogulis ― twisted, distorting mirror (i.e., one which gives a wrong image)

2. calm water surface

   ezera, upes spogulis ― lake, river surface

3. (optics) a reflective surface as an optical system

   spoguļa formula ― mirror formula

   spoguļa fokuss ― mirror focus

   spoguļa lineārais palielinājums ― mirror linear increase

4. (figuratively) something that reflects or shows something (a quality, a feature, etc.)

   prese ir sabiedriskās domas spogulis ― the press is a mirror of public opinion

   acis ir cilvēka dvēseles spogulis ― the eyes are the mirror of a person's soul

5. an area of an animal's body that is different from its surroundings and characterizes the animal

   mugurpusē ap asti stirnai ir spilgti balts laukums, tā sauktais “spogulis” ― back around the tail of the roe deer is a bright white spot, the so-called “mirror”

• spieģelis