Latvian

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Etymology

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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

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Adjective

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

  1. (of people, body parts) lithe, slim, slender
    augumā Arturs bija līdzīgs māsai, tāpat slaids un lokans, garām kajāmin height Artur was like his sister, just as slim and lithe, with long legs
    slaidi pirkstislender fingers
    slaidas kājasslender legs
  2. (of trees, their trunks) slender, straight (having a tall, straight trunk without branches)
    slaidi bērzislender, straight birch trees
    slaids stumbrsslender, straight trunk
    mežā priede izaug slaida, ar taisnu un gludu stumbru, kam zari ir tikai pašā galotnēin the woods, the pine tree grows slender, with a straight, smooth trunk, and with branches only at the very top
  3. (of plants) straight, slender (having long, straight stems)
    slaidās gladiolas vislabāk izskatāsthe slender gladioli look best
  4. (of objects) slender, slim (thin and relatively tall, high)
    slaida bultaslender, slim arrow
    slaida laivaslender, slim boat
    slaidas, vieglas slēpesslender, light skis
  5. (of geographic features) relatively tall, high, and steep
    slaidie pakalnihigh hills
    slaidi viļņihigh waves
    viņam patīk slaidās nokalneshe likes steep slopes
  6. (of movements) broad, sharp, quick
    te, slaidu soli skriedams, viņu panāca Janelishere, running with broad steps, Janelis reached him
    viņš skatījās, kā Roziene slaidiem grābekļa vēzieniem rauš kopā šīs lapashe watched as Raziene gathered these leaves with broad strokes of (her) rake
  7. (of circular movements) broad
    slidinoties mājā no skolas, es apmetu slaidu līkumusliding/skiing back home from school, I made a broad turn

Declension

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Synonyms

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Antonyms

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Derived terms

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References

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