šaurs

From Proto-Baltic *siauras, from Proto-Indo-European *sew- (“to bend, to cut, to drive”), with a suffix *-ro. The meaning evolved from “bent (inward), concave” to “narrow.” Cognates include Lithuanian siaűras.^[1]

Alternatively, from Proto-Indo-European *sewh₁- (“to press, squeeze”) as in सुनोति (sunoti, “to press”).^[2]

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šaurs (definite šaurais, comparative šaurāks, superlative visšaurākais, adverb šauri)

1. narrow (having little breadth; having a relatively small distance from side to side, or (for round objects) a relatively small diameter)

   šaura iela, eja ― narrow street, passage

   šaurs koridors ― narrow corridor

   šauras kāpnes, durvis ― narrow stairs, door

   šaura gulta ― narrow bed

   šaura josta ― narrow belt

   šaurs trauks ― narrow bowl

   šaura seja, piere ― narrow face, forehead

2. narrow (uncomfortable because of lack of space)

   šaurs dzīvoklis ― narrow (= stifling, too small) apartment

3. (mathematics) acute

   šaurs leņķis ― acute angle (between 0° and 90°)

4. (of clothes, shoes) tight

   kleita plecos ir šaura ― the dress is tight at the shoulder

   kurpes par šauram ― too tight shoes

5. (phonetics) narrow, tense (pronounced with relatively small mouth opening)

   šaurais patskanis ― narrow, tense vowel

   šaurais e, ē ― narrow, tense e, ē (i.e., instead of )

6. (of social groups) narrow (including relatively few people)

   vārdi un frāzes, ko lieto tikai kāda šaura sociāla grupa ― words and phrases that only a certain narrow social group uses

   tās lasītāju loks tolaik bija diezgan šaurs ― its readership at the time was rather narrow

7. narrow (a smaller subset of a larger domain of activity)

   šaura specializācija ― narrow specialty, specialization

   tematiski šaura izstāde ― thematically narrow exhibition

8. (of vision; also thoughts, beliefs, ideas, etc.) narrow (lacking versality, breadth, depth)

   šaurs redzesloks ― narrow range of vision

   šaurs garīgais apvārsnis ― narrow spiritual horizon

   šaurs skatījums uz dzīvi ― narrow outlook on life

   šaurs uzskati ― narrow views, opinions

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