strēlnieks

See also: Strēlnieks

Latvian

Etymology

From strēle (“arrow, dart”) +‎ -nieks. First mentioned in 17th-century sources, this word corresponds so well in form and meaning to Old East Slavic стрѣльникъ (strělĭnikŭ, “archer”) that it may have been a calque or borrowing.[1]

Noun

strēlnieks m (1st declension, feminine form: strēlniece)

  1. (military) (male) rifleman, infantryman, infantry soldier
    strēlnieku divīzija ― infantry, riflemen division
    strēlnieku ieroči ― infantry weapons
    motorizēto strēlnieku karaspēks ― motorized infantry troops
    strēnieku dziesmas ― riflemen songs
    latviešu brīvprātīgo strēlnieku 1. pulks ― 1st. regiment of Latvian voluntary riflemen
  2. (historical) (male) archer (warrior or hunter whose main weapon is a bow (or crossbow) and arrows)
    plecos stops un bultas, strēlnieks kalnos klīst ― crossbow and arrows on shoulders, the archer roams in the mountains

Declension

References

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