kvieši

From an earlier *kvietis (plural kvieši, genitive *kvietya > kvieša, from which a new singular kviesis was formed by analogy), from Proto-Baltic *kʷiet-, from Proto-Indo-European *kʷeyt- (“to shine; bright; white”), from a stem *kew-, *ḱew- (“to shine; bright”) with an extra -t. The original meaning was probably “light, bright one” > “wheat,” given its color. Cognates include Lithuanian kviečiai̇̃, singular kvietỹs, Proto-Germanic *hwaitijaz (Old Norse hveiti, Norwegian kveite, Old High German weizi, German Weizen, Old English hwæte, English wheat).^[1]

• IPA^(key): [kvìɛʃi]

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kvieši m (2nd declension)

1. wheat (esp. Triticum aestivum)

   kviešu milti ― wheat flour

   kviešu maize ― wheat bread

   kviešu lauks ― wheat field

   sēt kviešus ― to sow wheat

   pļaut kviešus ― to mow wheat

There is a singular form kviesis, only sporadically attested (usually to refer to the plant). There is also a family name Kviesis.