skaists

Latvian

Etymology

This word results from the merging of two different lines: (a) a derivation from the same stem as skaidrs (clear) (q.v.): *skaid-tas > *skaistas > skaists; the older “clear, pure” meaning can be found in examples up to the beginning of the 19th century; and (b) the past participle of kaist (to be hot, to glow), with an extra initial s from a former reflexive marker (compare apskaisties (to get angry) from ap-s-kaist-ies). The meaning probably changed as follows: “warm, hot, heated” > “red, flushed” > “bright, attractive, beautiful.” The older “red, flushed” meaning can be found in older sources and in folk tales (skaistiem vaigiem “with flushed cheeks”). Cognates include Lithuanian skaistùs, dialectal skáistas (bright, light, clear, glittering, sparkling, beautiful, pure, chaste).[1]

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): [skāīsts]

Adjective

skaists (definite skaistais, comparative skaistāks, superlative visskaistākais, adverb skaisti)

  1. beautiful (having beauty; corresponding to certain aesthetic ideals, provoking certain aesthetic feelings)
    skaista mūzika, gleznabeautiful music, painting
    skaists stāstsbeautiful story
    skaista seja, balssbeautiful face, voice
    skaists dārzsbeautiful garden
    skaists (vājais, daiļais) dzimumsthe beautiful (weak, graceful) sex (i.e., women)
  2. beautiful, pleasant (which causes, gives pleasure)
    skaistas atmiņasbeautiful memories
    skaisti apsveikuma vārdibeautiful words of greeting
    skaists laiks, rītsbeautiful weather, morning
  3. beautiful, good (having good moral value, being socially useful)
    skaista dvēselebeautiful soul
    skaistas domasbeautiful thoughts
    skaista rīcībabeautiful action
    skaisti nodzīvots mūžsa beautifully lived life
  4. (of animals, plants) beautiful, good (well kept, having desirable characteristics, e.g., for breeding)
    skaists sunsbeautiful dog
    skaisti kartupeļibeautiful potatoes

Declension

Synonyms

Antonyms

Derived terms

References

  1. Karulis, Konstantīns. 1992, 2001. Latviešu etimoloģijas vārdnīca. Rīga: AVOTS. →ISBN.
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