Latvian

edit

Etymology

edit

Originally the iterative form of an older Proto-Baltic *mezg-ti (whence also mezgls; cf. dialectal verb megzt [in original; sic?]), for which a parallel form with ž was built (whence also dialectal megžt, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *mezg- (to knit, to tie). Cognates include Lithuanian mègzti (present tense mezgù) “to tie in a knot; to knit, to braid; to throw buds”.[1]

Pronunciation

edit
  • IPA(key): [mɛʒɟîːt]
  • Audio:(file)
  • IPA(key): [mɛʒdʒîːt]
  • Audio:(file)

Verb

edit

mežģīt (transitive, 2nd conjugation, present mežģīju, mežģī, mežģī, past mežģīju)

  1. to sprain, to twist (e.g., a joint)
    mežģīt rokas locītavuto sprain (one's) wrist
    mežģīt kājuto sprain (one's) leg
    mēli mežģījošs nosaukumsa tongue-twisting name
    es nemaz netiku daudz prātojusi par pienākumiem, te viņi ir un ir jāpadara, ko tur vēl smadzenes mežģītI have never wondered much about duties, you have them and you have to do them, there is nothing there to twist (one's) brains about
  2. to entangle (ropes, threads, wires, etc.)
    mežģīt dzijas, dieguto entangle yarn, thread
  3. (dialectal sense) to sew (usually a net)
    zvejnieks mežģī tīklusthe fisherman is sewing a (fishing) net

Conjugation

edit

Synonyms

edit

Derived terms

edit
prefixed verbs:
other derived terms:
edit

References

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