Latvian edit

Etymology edit

From daiļa (beautiful[fem.]) +‎ literatūra (literature).

Pronunciation edit

(file)

Noun edit

daiļliteratūra f (4th declension)

  1. literature (form of art that expresses itself via language, via the creation of literary texts)
    daiļliteratūras žanriliterary genres
    daiļliteratūras paveidiliterary, fiction types
    daiļliteratūras darbiliterary works, works of fiction
    mūsu dienās izšķir daiļliteratūru, zinātnisko literatūru, politisko literatūru, tehnisko literatūru...nowadays one distinguishes (artistic) literature, scientific literature, political literature, technical literature...
    katrā daiļliteratūras darbā atspoguļoti zināmi apstākļi, kuros dzīvo un darbojas tēliin every work of literature (= literary fiction) the known circumstances in which the characters live and act are reflected
  2. literature, fiction (the works of art produced by writers)
    oriģinālā daiļliteratūraoriginal fiction
    tulkotā daiļliteratūratranslated fiction
    iepazīties ar jaunāko daiļliteratūruto become acquainted with the latest fiction
    viņa aizgūtnēm lasīja daiļliteratūrushe eagerly read fiction

Usage notes edit

Daiļliteratūra refers to artistic literature, to literature as art, while literatūra has a broader meaning that can include non-artistic writings ("technical literature", "juridical literature", etc.). As for the term rakstniecība, it refers more properly to the activity of writing itself, i.e. the writer's craft.

Declension edit