siekalas
See also: siekalās
Latvian
Etymology
From the same stem as slieka (“earthworm”) (q.v.), with dissimilation (*sliekalas > siekalas); note dialectal forms like sliekas (“saliva”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *sley- (“slimy, slippery, glide”).[1]
The synonymous word slienas comes also from the same stem, but with an extra n instead of an extra k.[2]
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): [sīɛ̄kalas]
Noun
siekalas f (4th declension)
- (usually in the plural) saliva (secretions of the glands in the mouth)
- siekalu dziedzeri ― salivary glands
- siekalu pilieni ― saliva drops
- siekalas saskrien mutē ― saliva is flowing to (one's) mouth
- izspļaut siekalas ― to spit out saliva
- siekalas tek ― saliva is flowing (= one wants something very much)
- siekalas samitrina sauso uzturu un noskalo no mutes gļotādas kaitīgās un liekās vielas ― saliva moistens the dry food and washes away harmful substances from the mouth surface
Usage notes
A nominative singular form siekala exists but is only sporadically attested.
Declension
| singular | plural | |
|---|---|---|
| nominative | — | siekalas |
| genitive | — | siekalu |
| dative | — | siekalām |
| accusative | — | siekalas |
| instrumental | — | siekalām |
| locative | — | siekalās |
| vocative | — | siekalas |
Synonyms
- slienas
- spļāviens
Related terms
- siekaļot, siekaļoties
References
- ^ Pokorny, Julius (1959) “662-64”, in Indogermanisches etymologisches Wörterbuch [Indo-European Etymological Dictionary] (in German), volume 2, Bern, München: Francke Verlag, pages 662-64
- ^ Karulis, Konstantīns (1992) “siekalas”, in Latviešu Etimoloģijas Vārdnīca [Latvian Etymological Dictionary][1] (in Latvian), Rīga: AVOTS, →ISBN