pļaut

From earlier *pjaut (for another example of *pj > pļ, see spļaut, from Proto-Baltic *pyau-, *pyū- (with the infinitive suffix -ti), from Proto-Indo-European *pēu-, *pyu-, *pū- (“to hit; to cut”). Cognates include Lithuanian pjauti (“to cut,” dialectally “to mow, to bite, to torment”), Old Prussian placename Gertepeawne [gertopiaun-], from gerto (“chicken”), i.e. “chicken meadow”, piuclan (“sickle”), Sudovian piaud (“to cut”), Ancient Greek παίω (paíō, “I hit, strike”), dialectal παυίω (pauíō), Latin paviō (“I hit, strike”).^[1]

• IPA^(key): [pʎāwt]

pļaut (transitive, 1st conjugation, present pļauju, pļauj, pļauj, past pļāvu)

1. to mow, to reap (to cut, with a scythe or sickle, the parts above-ground part of grass, cereals, etc.)

   pļaut zāli, sienu, kviešus ― to mow grass, hay, wheat

   pļaut kartupeļu lakstus ― to mow potato tops

   rudzus sāka pļaut tuvākajā laukā ― they began reaping rye in the nearby field

   pļaujošs lidojums ― mowing flight (very low flight, 10-100 meters from the ground)

   viņš pļāva sparīgi... pirmie sviedri izsitās uz pieres ― he reaped vigorously... the first sweat appeared on his forehead

   nu tā pļava ir nost un pļauta ― this meadow is now completely mown

2. (figuratively) to shoot intensively, repeatedly

   mūsu lielgabali atklāj pļaujošu uguni pa visu kolonnu ― our guns opened intensive (lit. mowing, reaping) fire on the entire (military) column

   ložmetējs pie mājas stūra atsācis šaut, tam pievienojās vēl otrs, vēl pāris rokas ložmetēju, un visi kopā tie pļāva tā, ka vācieši vairs neuzdrīkstējās ne galvu pacelt ― the machine gun at the corner of the building started shooting, a second one joined it, then a few more machine guns, all together they mowed, reaped in such a way that the Germans no longer even dared raise their heads

prefixed verbs:

other derived terms:

• pļaujmašīna
• pļāviens
• pļāvums

• pļauja
• pļava

• izkapts
• sirpis