blīvs

A 20th-century derivation by back-formation from the adverb blīviski (“densely”), short form blīvi, itself a 19th-century derivation from the verb blīvēt (“to pack tightly, to make dense”), an 18th-century borrowing from Low German flīen, Middle Low German vlīen or Middle Dutch vlijen (“to order, stack, lay down in layers”).^[1]

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blīvs (definite blīvais, comparative blīvāks, superlative visblīvākais, adverb blīvi)

1. dense, compact, thick (such that its parts are tight, very close to each other)

   blīva viela ― dense, thick substance, material

   blīva masa ― dense mass

   blīva augsne ― compact soil

2. tight, solid, compact, dense (without gaps; pressed, pulled tight, fitting tightly)

   blīvs audums ― solid, continuous fabric

   blīvs spraugu pildījums ― solid, dense gap filling

   logs bija aizklāts ar blīvu aizkaru, un ne mazākais saules stariņš neiespīdēja istabā ― the window was covered with a heavy, tight curtain; not even the slightest ray of sunshine could get into the room

   beidzot vāvere uzliek ligzdai pamatīgu, blīvu lapu jumtu, lai nesūktos cauri lietus ― finally the squirrel made for (his) nest a roof of dense, compact leaves, so that the rain wouldn't leak through (it)

3. dense, packed (where living beings are very close to each other)

   blīva drūzma ― dense, packed crowd

   pavasaros uz Sahalīnas piekrasti dodas tik blīvi siļķu bari, ka uz zivju mugurām stāv kaijas ― in spring such tight, packed herring schools come to the coast of Sakhalin that stand on the backs of the fish

   rudeņos blīvā straumē ceļo uz dienvidiem žubītes un citi sīkie putni ― in autumn finches and other small birds travel south in a dense stream

• blīvums