Latvian

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Etymology

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A 20th-century derivation by back-formation from the adverb blīviski (densely), short form blīvi, itself a 19th-century derivation from the verb blīvēt (to pack tightly, to make dense), an 18th-century borrowing from Low German flīen, Middle Low German vlīen or Middle Dutch vlijen (to order, stack, lay down in layers).[1]

Pronunciation

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  • IPA(key): [blīːws]
  • Audio:(file)

Adjective

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blīvs (definite blīvais, comparative blīvāks, superlative visblīvākais, adverb blīvi)

  1. dense, compact, thick (such that its parts are tight, very close to each other)
    blīva vieladense, thick substance, material
    blīva masadense mass
    blīva augsnecompact soil
  2. tight, solid, compact, dense (without gaps; pressed, pulled tight, fitting tightly)
    blīvs audumssolid, continuous fabric
    blīvs spraugu pildījumssolid, dense gap filling
    logs bija aizklāts ar blīvu aizkaru, un ne mazākais saules stariņš neiespīdēja istabāthe window was covered with a heavy, tight curtain; not even the slightest ray of sunshine could get into the room
    beidzot vāvere uzliek ligzdai pamatīgu, blīvu lapu jumtu, lai nesūktos cauri lietusfinally the squirrel made for (his) nest a roof of dense, compact leaves, so that the rain wouldn't leak through (it)
  3. dense, packed (where living beings are very close to each other)
    blīva drūzmadense, packed crowd
    pavasaros uz Sahalīnas piekrasti dodas tik blīvi siļķu bari, ka uz zivju mugurām stāv kaijasin spring such tight, packed herring schools come to the coast of Sakhalin that [seagulls can] stand on the backs of the fish
    rudeņos blīvā straumē ceļo uz dienvidiem žubītes un citi sīkie putniin autumn finches and other small birds travel south in a dense stream

Declension

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Derived terms

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References

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  1. ^ Karulis, Konstantīns (1992) “blīvēt”, in Latviešu Etimoloģijas Vārdnīca[1] (in Latvian), Rīga: AVOTS, →ISBN