See also: ceret and Ceret

Latvian edit

Etymology edit

Originally the iterative (durative) form of *cert, from Proto-Baltic *kerti, from Proto-Indo-European *ker- (to cut; to strike) (whence also cirst “to cut, to chop; to strike, to beat”, q.v.). The semantic evolution went from “to make fire, to burn, to heat” (probably via “to strike (wood, metal, to make) fire;” see ceri “heated stones for sauna, bath,” and also the cognate verb kurt “to make fire”) → “to feel, worry, think fierily, intensely” (probably also influenced by ķert “to catch, to grasp”, another reflex of *ker-) → “to love” (a meaning still attested for cerēt in folklore), and also “to turn one's (full) attention to something” → “to hope (for something).” Note that derived verbs often conserve the older meaning of “turning one's attention (to)”, “thinking:” atcerēties (to remember), apcerēt (to consider, to contemplate), iecerēt (to plan, to intend), sacerēt (to write, to compose).[1]

Pronunciation edit

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Verb edit

cerēt (transitive or intransitive, 3rd conjugation, present ceru, ceri, cer, past cerēju)

  1. to hope (to expect and wish for something to happen)
    cerēt uz laimito hope for happiness
    cerēt labākoto hope for the best
    ceram drīz saņemt atbildiwe hope to receive a reply soon
    visi cerēja, ka laiks būs labsall hoped that the weather would be good
    brauciens izdevies labāk, neka cerētsthe trip was more successful than (had been) hoped
    uz to nav ko cerētabout that there is nothing to hope for
    daudz gaidīju, daudz cerēju, bet laime mani vīlaI waited long, I hoped much, but happiness deceived (= eluded) me
    es biju cerējis pavisam ko cituI had hoped for something completely different
  2. to rely (on someone), to expect (e.g., help, from someone)
    jā, Andra tēvs stipri cerēja uz saviem “bagātiem radiem”Yes, Andris' father strongly relied on, hoped for (help from) his “rich family”

Conjugation edit

Derived terms edit

Related terms edit

References edit

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