slaiks

Latvian

Etymology

From the same stem as slieka (earthworm) (q.v.): Proto-Indo-European *ley- (humid, mucous, sticky, slippery, smooth). The semantic evolution was probably “sticky, slippery” > “smooth” > “thin” > “tall, slender”.[1]

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): [slaîks]

Adjective

slaiks (slaikais comparative, slaikāks superlative, visslaikākais adverb, slaiki)

  1. (of people, body parts) tall, slender, slim
    slaiks, gaišmatains puisisslender, fair-haired guy
    viņa bija skaista, slaika meita ar tumšbrūniem matiemshe was a beautiful, slender girl with dark brown hair
  2. (of trees, their trunks) slender (with a tall, straight trunk without branches)
    slaikas priedestall, slender pine trees
    kokiem slaiki stumbrithe trees (have) tall, slender trunks
  3. (of plants) slender, straight (having straight stems)
    ceriņi, trausli un slaikililacs, delicate and slender
  4. (of objects) slender, slim (thin and relatively tall, high)
    slaiks tornishigh, slender tower
    'slaikas svecestall, slender candles
  5. (of movements) broad
    iet ar slaiku solito go with broad step(s)
    lidmašīna apmeta slaiku lokuthe airplane made a broad circle

Declension

Synonyms

Derived terms

References

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