[mǣlns]
OriginFrom Proto-Baltic *mel(n)- (“black, blue”), from Proto-Indo-European *mel- (“dark, red, dirty”). Cognates include Lithuanian mė́lynas (“blue”), Old Prussian melne (“bruise”), Gothic mēla (“writing characters”), Old High German mālōn (“to paint, to draw”), German malen (“to paint”), Sanskrit मल (mala, “dirty”), Ancient Greek μέλας (mélas, “black, dark”) (< *melans), Latin mulleus (“reddish”) (< *mulneyos).
- black (the color of something that absorbs all light and reflects none)
“absolūti melns” — absolutely black
“melna tāfele” — black board
“melns mākonis” — black cloud
- black (much darker than the average of its kind)
“melnā dzilna” — black woodpecker (Dryocopus martius)
“melnā žurka” — black rat (Rattus rattus)
“melnā priede” — black pine (Pinus nigra)
- Black (of a person: of dark skin color)
“melns kungs” — a Black gentleman
“melnā rase” — the Black race
“melnie iezemieši” — the Black natives
- dirty, smudged with something black or dark
“melna mute” — black, dirty mouth
“melnas rokas” — black, dirty hands
- dark (wrong, objectionable, unlawful)
“melnā vara” — dark power
“melnā maģija” — black magic
“melnais saraksts” — black list
Formsmelnais(definite) · melnāks(comparative) · vismelnākais(superlative) · melni(adverb) · melns(masculine, nominative, singular) · melni(masculine, nominative, plural) · melna(feminine, nominative, singular) · melnas(feminine, nominative, plural) · melna(genitive, masculine, singular) · melnu(genitive, masculine, plural) · melnas(feminine, genitive, singular) · melnu(feminine, genitive, plural) · melnam(dative, masculine, singular) · melniem(dative, masculine, plural) · melnai(dative, feminine, singular) · melnām(dative, feminine, plural) · melnu(accusative, masculine, singular) · melnus(accusative, masculine, plural) · melnu(accusative, feminine, singular) · melnas(accusative, feminine, plural)