ķēde

• (archaic, dialectal term) šķēde

Borrowed from Middle Low German kede, or from Middle Dutch cede (cf. German Kette), themselves borrowings from Latin catena, ultimately from a Proto-Indo-European stem *kat- (“to weave, to braid”). This is an old borrowing, already mentioned in 17th-century sources, sometimes with a prothetic š (šķēde). The current form, without š, officially entered the standard language in the early 20th century.^[1]

• IPA^(key): [cɛ̄ːdɛ]

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ķēde f (5th declension)

1. chain (sequence of interconnected, usually metal, rings or links)

   velosipēda ķēde ― bicycle chain

   pulksteņa ķēde ― clock chain

   enkura ķēde ― anchor chain

   ķēdes posms, loceklis ― chain link

   ķēžu dūriens ― chain stitch

   piesiet zirgu ķēdē ― to tie a horse with a chain (= tether)

2. chain (a chain (1) made of precious metal, to be worn as an ornament)

   ķēde ar piekariņiem ― chain with pendants

   sudraba ķēde ― silver chain

3. chain, fetters (to restrain prisoners)

   kāju ķēde ― foot chain, fetters

4. row, line of people at a certain distance from each other

   uzbrucēju ķēde ― chain of attackers

   izvērsties ķēdē ― to unfold (people) in a chain

5. a series of elements following each other

   apsnigušu virsotņu ķēde ― a chain of snowy peaks

   elektriskā ķēde ― electric circuit (lit. chain)

6. a sequence of events or facts

   notikumu ķēde ― chain of events

   ķēdes reakcija ― chain reaction