laipns
Latvian
editAlternative forms
edit- (dialectal form) lipns
Etymology
editFrom the same stem as the verb lipt (“to stick, to adhere”) (q.v.), from which it was derived (with vowel gradation, like laipa (“footbridge”), and an extra n; compare, without vowel gradation, the dialectal variant lipns). The semantic evolution was probably “sticky, adhesive” > “clingy” > “attentive” > “nice, polite, kind.” Cognates include Lithuanian lipnùs (“sticky, adhesive; nice, kind”).[1] Ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *leyp-.
Pronunciation
editAdjective
editlaipns (definite laipnais, comparative laipnāks, superlative vislaipnākais, adverb laipni)
- nice, polite, kind, friendly, warm, welcoming (one that treats others with attention, sensitivity, kindness, friendliness)
- laipns jaunietis ― friendly, nice young man
- laipna namamāte ― welcoming hostess
- būt laipnam pret viesiem ― to be courteous, welcoming to the guests
- esi, esiet tik laipns... — would you be so kind as to... (introducing a polite request)
- (such that it expresses or reflects such qualities: attention, politeness, kindness, friendliness...)
- laipns smaids ― a kind, warm smile
- runāt laipnā balsī ― to speak with a kind voice
- laipni vārdi ― kind, welcoming words
- laipna uzņemšana ― warm welcome
Declension
editindefinite declension (nenoteiktā galotne) of laipns
masculine (vīriešu dzimte) | feminine (sieviešu dzimte) | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
singular (vienskaitlis) |
plural (daudzskaitlis) |
singular (vienskaitlis) |
plural (daudzskaitlis) | ||||||
nominative (nominatīvs) | laipns | laipni | laipna | laipnas | |||||
accusative (akuzatīvs) | laipnu | laipnus | laipnu | laipnas | |||||
genitive (ģenitīvs) | laipna | laipnu | laipnas | laipnu | |||||
dative (datīvs) | laipnam | laipniem | laipnai | laipnām | |||||
instrumental (instrumentālis) | laipnu | laipniem | laipnu | laipnām | |||||
locative (lokatīvs) | laipnā | laipnos | laipnā | laipnās | |||||
vocative (vokatīvs) | — | — | — | — | |||||
Derived terms
editReferences
edit- ^ Karulis, Konstantīns (1992) “laipns”, in Latviešu Etimoloģijas Vārdnīca (in Latvian), Rīga: AVOTS, →ISBN