See also: lasit

Latvian edit

Etymology edit

Originally the iterative form (with ablaut) of an earlier verb lest, used with respect to birds (“to pick with one's beak”; cf. Lithuanian lèsti, and the related lēst “to calculate”), from Proto-Baltic *les-tei, *lest-ti, from Proto-Indo-European *les- (to pick, to gather), perhaps derived from the stem *el- (to bend), via a meaning such as “to pick (something) while bending down.” The later meaning “to read” came by analogy to German lesen, which has both meanings, itself also influenced by Latin legō (to read; to collect, to gather). A simultaneous change in case marking also occurred: from lasīt grāmatā burtus “to pick/read letters in a book” (like lasīt mežā ogas “to pick berries in the forest”) to lasīt grāmatā “to read in a book” and finally lasīt grāmatu “to read a book,” with the accusative form grāmatu of grāmata “book.” Cognates include Lithuanian lasýti (to pick berries, mushrooms), Gothic 𐌻𐌹𐍃𐌰𐌽 (lisan), Old High German lësan (to pick up, to gather), German lesen (to pick (grapes); to read), Hittite [Term?] (/⁠lis-⁠/), [Term?] (/⁠les-⁠/, to pick (from somewhere)).[1]

Pronunciation edit

(file)

Verb edit

lasīt (transitive, 3rd conjugation, present lasu, lasi, lasa, past lasīju)

  1. to read (to perceive and understand written language, a word, sentence, text, etc.)
    prast lasīt un rakstītto know how to read and write
    lasīt par arhitektūruto read about architecture
    lasīt daiļliteratūruto read fiction
    lasīt avīzesto read newspapers
    lasīt romānu, dzejolito read a novel
    lasīt rakstu žurnālāto read an article in a magazine
    lasīt paziņojumu, uzrakstuto read a statement, an inscription
    lasīt ēdienu kartito read the menu
    lasīt balsī, skaļito read aloud
    lasīt priekšāto read aloud (to an audience)
    viņš daudz lasahe reads a lot
    esmu lasījis, ka salas esot ļoti skaistasI have read that the islands are very beautiful
    vēstuli vajadzēja lasīt divas reizesone has to read the letter twice
    vai viņš arī patiesi lasīja vai tik grāmatā skatījās, tas nav zināmswhether he really was reading or only looking at the book was not clear
    Ģirts lasa medicīniskajās grāmatās nodaļas par galvas traumāmĢirts is reading the chapter on head injuries in the medical book
    Kad zēnu aizveda uz skolu, viņš jau brīvi lasīja un rēķinājawhen they (first) sent the boy to school, he (could) already read and do math well
  2. to read (to understand the meaning of symbols, signs, pictures, plans, etc.)
    lasīt rasējumuto read the blueprints
    lasīt notis, partitūruto read notes (or sheet music), a (musical) score
    lasīt pēdas sniegāto read footprints in the snow
    prast lasīt jūras kartesto know how to read nautical charts
    lasīt starp rindāmto read between the lines (i.e. to understand the implied, but not overtly expressed, meaning of a text)
  3. to read (to sense, to perceive through its external manifestations) (of mental states)
    lasīt domasto read (or guess) (someone's) thoughts
    lasīt dvēselē, sirdīto read in (someone's) soul, heart (i.e. to understand someone's feelings)
    es lasu viņa sejā nožēlu un to, ka viņš jūtas ļoti nepatīkamiI read the regret in his face, and the fact that he feels very uncomfortable
  4. to read, to lecture (to express, to communicate, to explain (a topic) in a lecture, presentation, etc.; to teach a topic (e.g., at a university)) (of topics, subjects)
    lasīt leksikogrāfijuto teach (lit. read) lexicography
    etnogrāfijas kurss Latvijas Universitātē līdz 1938. gadam netika lasītsthe ethnography course of the University of Latvia was not taught (lit. read) until 1938
    pašlaik dzejnieks jau lasa lekciju universitātē par mūsdienu kritikas jautājumiemthe poet currently reads lectures (or teaches) at the university on contemporary issues of criticism
    man patiesībā ir neērti, jums te lasīt sprediķiI am actually embarrassed to be preaching (lit. reading) you a sermon
    “Tēt, lūdzu, tikai nelasi lekciju!” Rita iesaucas“dad, please, just don't preach (lit. read a lecture),” Rita exclaims
  5. to read, to recite (to read aloud, following the meter and rhyme) (of poems)
    aktieri lasīja dzejuthe actors read (or recited) poetry
    Lidija Freimane vācu skatītājiem viņu dzimtajā valodā lasīja Plūdoņa “Atraitnes dēlu”Lidija Freimane read (or recited) Plūdonis' “The Widow's Son” to the German audience in their native language (i.e. in German)
  6. to pick, to collect, by plucking or from the ground, usually one at a time
    lasīt ogas, sēnesto pick berries, mushrooms
    lasīt nokritušos ābolusto pick the fallen apples
    lasīt mežā žagarusto pick, gather twigs in the forest
    māte lasīs mežā sēnesmother will pick mushrooms in the forest
    viņa lasīja zālītes un saknes, ar ko ārstēt slimniekusshe picked (or collected) herbs and roots with which (she could) treat the sick
    pēcpusdienā puikas lasa nokritušās ozola zīlesin the afternoon the boys gathered the fallen acorns
    strazdi un zvirbuļi staigā turpat aiz mums un lasa sliekas un kukainīšusthe starlings and sparrows walk right behind us and pick earthworms and little insects
  7. to pick from, to take out of (somewhere), usually one at a time
    lasīt ārā graudus no pelavāmto pick, take the grains (of wheat) from the chaff
    lasīt no kastes lielākos ābolusto pick, take the biggest apples from the crate
    lasīt grozā ābolusto pick apples (and put them) in a basket
    lasīt kartupeļus maisāto pick potatoes (from the ground and put them) in a bag
    es lasīju no viņas matiem nobirušos ziedusI picked the flowers that had fallen on her hair
  8. (rare) to gather, to collect
    mana māte mazgāja buržujiem veļu un grīdas, lasīja pa pagalmiem lupatas, kaulus, pudeles, vecas kalošasmy mother washed the bourgeois' clothes and floor, (and) collected rags, bones, bottles (and) old footwear from the courtyards
  9. (rare) to gather (people)
    (viņš) kopā lasa pulku(he) gathers the regiment together

Conjugation edit

Antonyms edit

Derived terms edit

prefixed verbs:
other derived terms:

References edit

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