žibėti

From Proto-Balto-Slavic *źibḗˀtei, cognate with Latvian zibēt (“to shine”), and further related to Latvian zibt (“to sparkle”), Latvian zibens (“lightning”). Further origin outside of Baltic unclear;^[1] the root hypothetically traces back to a Proto-Indo-European *ǵ⁽ʰ⁾e(y)b⁽ʰ⁾-, with no certain non-Baltic cognates. Fraenkel suggests cognacy with Proto-Germanic *kaibaz (“fierce, lively”);^[2] note also potential formal and semantic similarities with Persian زیبیدَن (zibidan, “to adorn, embellish”).

By surface analysis, from the zero-grade of žiẽbti (“to light (a match, lamp, etc.); to strike, rush; to wear clothes”).^[3]

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žibė́ti (third-person present tense žìba, third-person past tense žibė́jo)^[4]

1. to glow, shine

   Synonym: švytėti

This entry needs an inflection-table template.

• žiẽbti (“to ignite, to start fire”)
• žaĩbas (“lightning”)
• žìbas, žỹbas (“glow”)
• žibintas (“a lantern”)