kreiss
See also: kreiß
Latvian
Etymology
From Proto-Indo-European *sker-, *ker-, *kr̥- (“to turn, to bend”), changed to *krei- (whence also kreilis (“left-hander”)), with a suffix -so. The meaning evolved from “bent, crooked” to “not strong, clumsy, weaker, less good,” hence “left (hand),” as opposed to the “good,” “able” right hand. Cognates include Old Prussian crays (“hay”), craysi (“stalk, straw”) (presumably from “that which bends, rocks”).[1]
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): [kɾèjs]
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Adjective
kreiss (definite kreisais, comparative kreisāks, superlative viskreisākais, adverb kreisi)
- (usually definite forms) left, left-side (located on the side of the human body that contains the heart)
- kreisā acs, roka, kāja ― left eye, hand, foot
- kreisais plecs ― left shoulder
- (usually definite forms) left, left-side (located on the side (of another living being or object) that is analogous to the human left side)
- suņa kreisā auss ― a dog's left ear
- lidmašīnas kreisais spārns ― an airplane's left wing
- automobiļa priekšējais kreisais ritenis ― the car's left rear wheel
- rakstāmgalda augšēja kreisā atvilkne ― the desk's top left drawer
- skatuves kreisā mala ― the stage's left side, edge
- upes kreisais krasts ― a river's left bank
- iet pa ietves kreiso pusi ― to go, walk on the left side of the pavement
- iet uz kreiso pusi ― go to the left side
- (adverbial form, with pa) on, to the left
- ezers ir pa kreisi ― the lake is on the left
- nogriezties pa kreisi ― to turn left
- (politics) left, left-wing (politically progressive, in favor of social change; revolutionary)
- parlamenta kreisās partijas ― the left-wing parties of parliament
- kreisā frakcija, grupa ― left-wing fraction, group
- kreisais virziens ― left-wing current, tendency
- cik kreiss ir vidējais Latvijas iedzīvotājs? ― how (much) left-wing is the average inhabitant of Latvia?
Usage notes
This adjective is generally used in its definite forms (kreisais, kreisā, etc.). The indefinite forms do occur as predicates after the verb būt (“to be”), especially in the political, “left-wing” sense (see examples above).
Declension
indefinite declension (nenoteiktā galotne) of kreiss
| masculine (vīriešu dzimte) | feminine (sieviešu dzimte) | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| singular (vienskaitlis) | plural (daudzskaitlis) | singular (vienskaitlis) | plural (daudzskaitlis) | ||||||
| nominative (nominatīvs) | kreiss | kreisi | kreisa | kreisas | |||||
| accusative (akuzatīvs) | kreisu | kreisus | kreisu | kreisas | |||||
| genitive (ģenitīvs) | kreisa | kreisu | kreisas | kreisu | |||||
| dative (datīvs) | kreisam | kreisiem | kreisai | kreisām | |||||
| instrumental (instrumentālis) | kreisu | kreisiem | kreisu | kreisām | |||||
| locative (lokatīvs) | kreisā | kreisos | kreisā | kreisās | |||||
| vocative (vokatīvs) | — | — | — | — | |||||
Antonyms
- (physical): labais (“right”)
- (political): labējs (“right-wing”)
Related terms
- kreilis
References
- Karulis, Konstantīns (1992), “kreiss”, in Latviešu Etimoloģijas Vārdnīca (in Latvian), Rīga: AVOTS, →ISBN