slaids

Latvian

Etymology

From *slaidus, from Proto-Baltic *sleid-, *slaid-, from Proto-Indo-European *sleidʰ- (“slippery, to slide”) (whence also slīdēt (“to slide”), q.v.), which is ultimately from the same stem as laist (“to let”): *ley- (“to let, to let go”) with an extra -dʰ and an s-mobile). Cognate with Latvian slidens (“slippery”), slaids also meant originally “slippery,” with the following semantic evolution: “slippery” > “smooth, even” > “delicate, slender” > “slim, slender” (“tall and thin”).^[1]

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): [slaîts]

This entry needs an audio pronunciation. If you are a native speaker with a microphone, please record this word. The recorded pronunciation will appear here when it's ready.

Adjective

slaids (definite slaidais, comparative slaidāks, superlative visslaidākais, adverb slaidi)

(of people, body parts) lithe, slim, slender
augumā Arturs bija līdzīgs māsai, tāpat slaids un lokans, garām kajām ― in height Artur was like his sister, just as slim and lithe, with long legs

slaidi pirksti ― slender fingers

slaidas kājas ― slender legs
(of trees, their trunks) slender, straight (having a tall, straight trunk without branches)
slaidi bērzi ― slender, straight birch trees

slaids stumbrs ― slender, straight trunk

mežā priede izaug slaida, ar taisnu un gludu stumbru, kam zari ir tikai pašā galotnē ― in the woods, the pine tree grows slender, with a straight, smooth trunk, and with branches only at the very top
(of plants) straight, slender (having long, straight stems)
slaidās gladiolas vislabāk izskatās ― the slender gladioli look best
(of objects) slender, slim (thin and relatively tall, high)
slaida bulta ― slender, slim arrow

slaida laiva ― slender, slim boat

slaidas, vieglas slēpes ― slender, light skis
(of geographic features) relatively tall, high, and steep
slaidie pakalni ― high hills

slaidi viļņi ― high waves

viņam patīk slaidās nokalnes ― he likes steep slopes
(of movements) broad, sharp, quick
te, slaidu soli skriedams, viņu panāca Janelis ― here, running with broad steps, Janelis reached him

viņš skatījās, kā Roziene slaidiem grābekļa vēzieniem rauš kopā šīs lapas ― he watched as Raziene gathered these leaves with broad strokes of (her) rake
(of circular movements) broad
slidinoties mājā no skolas, es apmetu slaidu līkumu ― sliding/skiing back home from school, I made a broad turn

Declension

indefinite declension (nenoteiktā galotne) of slaids

	masculine (vīriešu dzimte)		feminine (sieviešu dzimte)
	singular (vienskaitlis)	plural (daudzskaitlis)	singular (vienskaitlis)	plural (daudzskaitlis)
nominative (nominatīvs)	slaids	slaidi	slaida	slaidas
accusative (akuzatīvs)	slaidu	slaidus	slaidu	slaidas
genitive (ģenitīvs)	slaida	slaidu	slaidas	slaidu
dative (datīvs)	slaidam	slaidiem	slaidai	slaidām
instrumental (instrumentālis)	slaidu	slaidiem	slaidu	slaidām
locative (lokatīvs)	slaidā	slaidos	slaidā	slaidās
vocative (vokatīvs)	—	—	—	—

References

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

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

[1]