stulbs

From Proto-Baltic *stulb-, a variant of *stilb- (whence also Latvian stilbs (“shin, shank”), from Proto-Indo-European *stl̥b-, an ablaut variant of *stelb- (“post, pole, jamb”) (whence also stilbs, q.v.), from *stel- (“to put in a standing position, to erect; standing, immobile, stiff”) with an extra b. The semantic evolution was probably: “motionless, stiff” > “surprised, stunned” > “stupid”. Cognates include Lithuanian stul̃bis (“stupid person; old, bad horse”), stul̃bti, stùlbti (“to be stunned, dumbfounded; to become stiff with surprise or fear”), Proto-Slavic *stъlbъ (stŭlbŭ) (Russian столб (stolb, “post”)), Middle Low German stulpen (“to overthrow, to overturn, to topple”), German stolpern (“to stumble, to trip up”).^[1]

• IPA^(key): [stùlps]

stulbs (definite stulbais, comparative stulbāks, superlative visstulbākais, adverb stulbi)

1. stupid, dumb (mentally challenged, not able to comprehend, to understand; also, foolish)

   stulbs kā zābaks ― stupid as a boot (i.e., very stupid)

   Valentīna ir līdz smieklīgumam stulba; viņas nejēdzīgās atbildes stundās izsauc klasē smieklu šaltis ― Valentīna is ridiculously stupid; her absurd answers caused bursts of laughter in the classroom

   es neesmu tik stulbs, lai nesaprastu, ka mani ļoti ļoti pieklājīgā veidā izraida ― I am not so stupid as not to understand that I am being thrown out in a very, very polite way

2. stupid, dumb (expressing such qualities)

   stulbs skatiens ― stupid look, stare

   stulba rīcība ― stupid action, behavior

   stulbas kaprīzes ― stupid whims

   es no visa esmu ieguvis, pat no ļaunu ļaužu stulbā naida ― I've received (some) of everything, even (some) of the people's stupid hate

3. (of actions, states) stupid (very undesirable, unwanted, inconvenient)

   rīt ir tā stulbā sapulce ― tomorrow is that stupid meeting

   “man tāds stulbs vārds,” viņš atzinās; “mani sauc... Krists... es pats tur neesmu vainīgs!” ― “I have such a stupid name,” he confessed; “I am... Krists... I am not responsible for that (name)!”

• bezjēdzīgs
• dumjš
• idiotisks
• muļķīgs
• neprātīgs

• gudrs

• stulbenis, stulbene
• stulbība
• stulbums