Kaz Kalinkas is a phrase associated with a traditional Latvian folk song. The correct spelling of this phrase is [kɑz kɑliŋkɑs], where the first word, "kaz," is pronounced with an open back unrounded vowel and a voiceless alveolar affricate, while the second word, "kalinkas," is pronounced with a stressed mid back unrounded vowel, a voiceless alveolar lateral fricative, and a voiceless velar plosive. The song tells a story of a girl picking berries in the forest and encountering a group of riders.
"Kaz kalinkas" is a term derived from the Russian language. The etymology of this term can be understood by breaking down the individual words:
1. "Kaz" (каз): This word is a diminutive form of "Kazakhstan", which is a country located in Central Asia. It originates from the native Kazakh word "қаз" (qaz), meaning "to wander" or "to roam". It refers to the traditional lifestyle of nomadic Kazakh people who roamed the vast steppes of Central Asia.
2. "Kalinkas" (калинка): This word is a diminutive form of "kalina" (калина) in Russian. "Kalina" essentially means "guelder rose", a type of flowering plant found in Europe and Asia that bears red berries.