According to the most widespread view, kārts is a nominal form of the stem of the verb kārt “to hang” (q.v.), in which case its original meaning was “hanging (piece of wood),” or maybe “piece of wood from which something hangs.” Another hypothesis derives kārts from the same stem as cirst “to chop wood,” i.e. Proto-Baltic*kart-, *kirt-, from Proto-Indo-European*ker- “to cut” with an extra -t, in which case the original meaning would have been “cut, chopped (piece of wood).” Note, however, that the latter hypothesis does not explain the level tone in kārsts (cirst has falling tone), whereas the former does (kārt, like kārts, has level tone). Cognates include Lithuaniankártis, Old Prussiankartans.[1]
garš kā kārts ― tall as a pole (a tall, thin person)
Juris pagalmā ieraudzīja Ellu, kas vilka metrus divus, divarpus garu kārti ― in the courtyard Juris saw Ella dragging a two-, two-and-a-half-meter long pole
viņš staigā pa dārzu, gar ēkām, gar dīķi... pāris reizes ar kārti to mērīja ― he walked by the garden, along the buildings, the pond... a couple of times he measured it with a pole
tagad, izrādās, vairs nepietiek tikai ar kārts atbilstību sportista augumam un svaram ― now, it turns out, the support of the pole is no longer enough for the height and weight of the athlete...
Borrowed from GermanKarte (with level-tone lengthening: āɾ > āːɾ), itself borrowed from Frenchcarte. The term is first mentioned in 17th-century dictionaries as a plural 5th-declension noun (kārtes); the current 6th-declension form is first attested in the 1870s, perhaps as a result of the influence of kārts “pole” (see above), which was already a 6th-declension stem; cf. karte, also borrowed from GermanKarte, but not influenced by kārts “pole.”[2]
kungi sēdās pie kāršu galda ― the gentlemen sat down at the card table
lielajā namā pirms revolūcijas pulcējās muižnieku aristokrātija, notriecot lauku kārtīs, uzdzīvē un tukšās diskusijās ― before the revolution, the landowner aristocracy got together in the big house, killing time in (= with) cards, merry-making and empty discussions
.svg){kind=small}
