dāsns

Latvian

Etymology

Derived from dāt, an old parallel form of dot (“to give”), or perhaps from its (rare) iterative form dāstīt (“to give unthinkingly, wastefully”). The word dāsns was introduced in the literary language by J. Pliekšāns (Rainis) at the end of the 19th century. Some consider it irregularly formed (with ā instead of the expected o); others consider it a Lithuanism. Cognates include Lithuanian dosùs.[1]

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): [dāːsns]
(file)
  • IPA(key): [dâːsns]

Adjective

dāsns (definite dāsnais, comparative dāsnāks, superlative visdāsnākais, adverb dāsni)

  1. generous (which gives a lot, easily)
    ar dāsnu roku ― with a generous hand
    dāsns financējums ― generous financing
    dāsna sirds ― a generous heart
    Jehova ir dāsns žēlastībā ― Jehova is generous in grace
  2. fruitful, productive
    dāsns rudens ― fruitful autumn
    vasara bijusi dāsna, un izaugušas kuplas ražas ― the summer had been fruitful, it had grown rich crops
    putni pamet pārpilnību, ko sniegusi dāsnā dienvidu saule ― birds abandon the abundance that the fruitful, generous southern sun had provided
  3. abundant, rich (in large quantities)
    teātra kritiķa atstātais radošais mantojums dāsns un daudzpusīgs ― the theater critic's creative legacy (was) rich and varied

Declension

Synonyms

Derived terms

  • dāsnība
  • dāsnums

References

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