Latvian

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Alternative forms

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Etymology

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From Proto-Baltic *glitus, *glītus, from Proto-Indo-European *glīt-, the zero grade of *gley- (to stick; to spread, to smear) with an extra -t. From a parallel Baltic yo-stem from *glītyas came Latvian dialectal glīšs. The meaning changed from “slippery” to “smooth; tight-fitting” (a meaning still attested in folk songs), to “pleasant, pretty.” Cognates include Lithuanian glitùs, dialectal glytùs (slimy, sticky; slick, slippery), Ancient Greek γλοιός (gloiós, sticky, slippery), Late Latin glus (glue), accusative glutem (whence English glue), from earlier Latin glūten.[1]

Pronunciation

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

Adjective

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glīts (definite glītais, comparative glītāks, superlative visglītākais, adverb glīti)

  1. pretty, handsome, neat, good-looking (corresponding to aesthetic ideals; well, skillfully, carefully made)
    glīta meitene, sievete, sejapretty girl, woman, face
    glīts dzīvoklis, kostīmspretty, neat apartment, costume
    glīta mājapretty, neat house
    glītas mēbelespretty, neat furniture
    glīts darbs, rokraksts, adījumsneat work, handwriting, knit

Declension

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Synonyms

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Antonyms

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Derived terms

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References

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