ūdens
Latvian
Etymology
From Proto-Baltic *ūden- (or perhaps from Proto-Balto-Slavic *wandō), from the r/n-heteroclitic Proto-Indo-European noun *wódr̥, *wédōr, itself from a stem *wed- (“to moisten”). In Latvian, only the n-form of the stem survived in ūdens, but the r-form can be seen in the related term ūdrs (“otter”). The lack of initial v in Latvian also suggests that a specific dialectal term was generalized: v-initial forms can still be found in geographic names (e.g. the river Vadakste, the word vads in its dialectal senses: creek, swampy forest, etc., and place names derived from it, like Mēnešvads, Alkšņa vads, etc.). Cognates include Lithuanian vanduõ, dialectal unduõ, únduo, Old Prussian unds m, wundan n, Proto-Slavic *voda (Old Church Slavonic, Belarusian, Ukrainian, Bulgarian, Russian вода́ (vodá), Czech voda, Polish woda), Old Church Slavonic вѣдро (vědro, “small vessel”), Russian ведро́ (vedró, “bucket”), Ukrainian відро́ (vidró), Czech vědro, Polish wiadro, Proto-Germanic *watōr (Gothic 𐍅𐌰𐍄𐍉 (watō), Old High German wazzar, German Wasser, English water, wet), Hittite wātar (< *wódr̥), Sanskrit उदन् (udán), Ancient Greek ὕδωρ (húdōr), Latin unda (“wave”) (from *udn- with metathesis).[1]
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): [ûːdɛns]
(file)
Noun
ūdens m (2nd declension, irregular nominative, genitive)
- water (transparent liquid substance formed by hydrogen and oxygen; H₂O)
- smagais ūdens ― heavy water (hydrogen peroxyde, H₂O₂)
- ūdens molekula ― water molecule, H₂O
- tīrs, skaidrs ūdens ― clean, clear water
- dzeramais ūdens ― drinking (lit. drinkable) water
- duļķains ūdens ― muddy water
- mīksts, ciets ūdens ― soft, hard water
- vārīts, destilēts, gāzēts ūdens ― boiled, distilled, carbonated water
- jūras, upes, lietus ūdens ― sea, river, rain water
- ūdens ceļš, ūdensceļš ― waterway
- saldūdens, sālsūdens ― freshwater, saltwater
- atmosfēras, augsnes ūdens ― atmospheric, soil water
- artēziskais ūdens ― artesian water
- tējas, kafijas ūdens ― tea, coffee water (i.e., boiled for tea, coffee)
- svētais ūdens ― holy water
- ūdens saturs šķīdumā ― the water content of a solution
- ūdens lāse, strūkla ― a drop, a spray of water
- ūdens tvaiks ― water vapor
- ūdens krājumi, resursi ― water supplies, resources
- ūdens apgāde ― water supply (system)
- ūdens tek, plūst, pil ― water is leaking, flowing, dripping
- smelt, dzert, attīrīt ūdeni ― to draw, to drink, to purify water
- ūdenī šķīstoša viela ― a substance soluble in water
- mazgāties aukstā ūdenī ― to wash in cold water
- ūdens tilpe, ūdenstilpe ― water body, wetland
- ūdens līmenis ― water level
- virs, zem ūdens ― above, under water
- ūdens nelaime ― sea (lit. water) accident
- ūdens riņķojums dabā ― the cycle of water in nature
- (in the plural) waters (large amounts, large bodies of water)
- virszemes, sauszemes ūdeņi ― surface, land water (lit. waters)
- pazemes ūdeņi ― groundwater, underground water (lit. waters)
- ārstnieciskie ūdeņi ― healing waters (e.g., at a spa)
- palu ūdeņi ― flood water (lit. waters)
- termālie ūdeņi ― thermal water) (lit. waters)
- (in the plural) water (a body, bodies of water with a specific use, or belonging to a specific region or country)
- zvejas ūdeņi ― fishing waters
- teritoriālie ūdeņi ― territorial waters
- iekšējie ūdeņi ― internal, inland waters
- starptautiskie ūdeņi ― international waters
- (genitive, used adjectivally) water, aquatic, aqua- (using, relating to water)
- ūdens terapija, diēta ― water therapy, diet
- ūdens dziednīca ― water (health) resort, spa
- ūdens apkure ― water heating
- 'ūdens turbīna ― water turbine
- 'ūdens spainis, sūknis ― water bucket, pump
- ūdens pulkstenis ― water clock
- ūdens šķīdums ― water solution
- ūdens krāns ― water valve
- (genitive, used adjectivally) water, aquatic (relating to bodies of water)
- ūdens transports ― water transport
- ūdenssports ― water sports
- ūdensslēpes ― water skis
- ūdens polo ― water polo
- (genitive, used adjectivally) water, aquatic (which lives, is situated, in or near bodies of water, or in water-rich areas)
- ūdens augi, ūdensaugi ― aquatic plants
- ūdens lilija, ūdens roze, ūdensroze ― water lily
- ūdens zāle, ūdenszāle ― seaweed (lit. water weed)
- ūdens dzīvnieki, ūdensdzīvnieki ― aquatic animals
- ūdens putni, ūdensputni ― aquatic birds
- ūdens gliemji, kukaiņi ― aquatic mollusks, insects
- (of cosmetic products) water (a water solution containing also alcohol, oils, herbal extracts)
- sejas ūdens ― face water
- tualetes ūdens ― eau-de-toilette, eau-de-cologne
- (colloquial, of texts, words) watery, uninteresting, boring; empty, meaningless
- ūdens gabals ― piece of water (= contentless, excessively long text)
- tu slauc pareizu pienu, bet, mīļā māt, tavas meitas dzied dziesmas, kam ūdens klāt! ― you milk good milk, but, dear mother, your daughters sing songs that are covered with water
Declension
Derived terms
References
- Karulis, Konstantīns (1992) “ūdens”, in Latviešu Etimoloģijas Vārdnīca (in Latvian), Rīga: AVOTS, →ISBN
- ūdens at tezaurs.lv