lietus

From the same stem as Latvian liet (“to pour”) and līt (“to flow, to stream, to rain”) (q.v.), made into a masculine third declension noun (with ending -us);^[1] from Proto-Balto-Slavic *l(e/o)ʔi-,^[2] ultimately from the Proto-Indo-European root *ley- (“to flow, pour, stream; to glide, slip, be slippery”). Cognates include Lithuanian lietùs (“rain”), lytùs, li̇́eti (“to pour”), lai̇̃vas (“ship”), and likely the names of Latvia^[3] and Lithuania.^[4] More distantly related are Old Church Slavonic лити (liti, “to pour”) (< Proto-Slavic *lìti), Albanian lisë (“I pour”), Proto-Germanic *līþu (“cider ~ liquor”), Proto-Celtic *liyeti (“to flow”), Ancient Greek ἄλεισον (áleison, “wine container”), and perhaps λάταξ (látax, “drop”), Old Irish laith (“liquid; ale, liquor”) (< Proto-Celtic *latis), Latin litus (“shore, beach”), and various descendants of Proto-Indo-European *lewh₃- (“to wash”).

• IPA^(key): [liɛ̂tus]

• Audio:

  (file)

lietus m (3rd declension)

1. rain, shower; rainwater

   pavasara lietus ― spring rain, shower

   garie rudens lietus ― long autumn rain

   spēcīgs lietus ― heavy rain

   īslaicīgs lietus ― short-term rain

   Lietus bungo pa jumtu. ― The rain is drumming on the roof.

   Lietus līst. ― It (lit. rain) is raining.

   Lietus līņā, smidzina. ― It (lit. rain) is drizzling.

   lietus ūdens ― rainwater

   lietus lāses ― raindrops

   Lietus pil no jumta. ― The rain(water) is dripping from the roof.

   lietus mākoņi ― rain clouds

   lietus mētelis, lietusmētelis ― rain coat

   Caur pelēcīgo lietus plīvuru parādās kravas automobilis. ― Through the grayish veil of rain a truck (lit. cargo automobile) appeared.

   Viņi bija lietū ieecējuši auzas. ― They had begun to harrow the oats in the rain (= while it was raining).

2. (in the plural) rains, rainy period

   Pēc lielajiem lietiem sākās labības pļauja. ― After the big rains began the cereal harvest.

3. (figuratively) rain (a rain-like group of small moving objects; a large number of similar things)

   zvaigžņu lietus ― star rain (= meteor shower)

   dzirksteļu lietus ― spark rain (= many sparks)

   ložu lietus ― bullet rain (e.g., from a machine gun)

   Priedēs iespurdz vējš, un uz ceļa nolīst ziedputekšņu lietus. ― The wind began to flutter in the pine trees, and a rain of pollen fell (lit. rained) on the road.

• (of "rainy period"): lietavas

• lietains
• lietavas
• lietussargs

• līt, liet

• auka
• gāze
• vētra

From Proto-Balto-Slavic *leitus, from Proto-Indo-European *ley-, *lī- (“to pour, to flow, to drip”);^[1][2][3] see Latvian lietus for cognates.

2=Pronunciation 1

• IPA^(key): [ljɛˈt̪ʊs̪]

lietùs m (plural li̇́etūs) stress pattern 3

1. rain

• lietaus lašas

• lietingas
• lietpaltis
• lietuvis
• liūtis

• IPA^(key): [ˈlʲî.jɛ.t̪ʊs̪], [ˈlʲîə.t̪ʊs̪]

líetus m pl

1. accusative plural of lietus

• IPA^(key): [ˈlʲiɛ.t̪ʊs̪]

liẽtus m sg (past padalyvis)

1. past padalyvis of liesti

• “lietus”, in Lietuvių kalbos žodynas [Dictionary of the Lithuanian language], lkz.lt, 1941–2025
• “lietus”, in Dabartinės lietuvių kalbos žodynas [Dictionary of contemporary Lithuanian], ekalba.lt, 1954–2025