cerēt

Originally the iterative (durative) form of *cert, from Proto-Baltic *kerti, from Proto-Indo-European *ker- (“to cut; to strike”) (whence also cirst “to cut, to chop; to strike, to beat”, q.v.). The semantic evolution went from “to make fire, to burn, to heat” (probably via “to strike (wood, metal, to make) fire;” see ceri “heated stones for sauna, bath,” and also the cognate verb kurt “to make fire”) → “to feel, worry, think fierily, intensely” (probably also influenced by ķert “to catch, to grasp”, another reflex of *ker-) → “to love” (a meaning still attested for cerēt in folklore), and also “to turn one's (full) attention to something” → “to hope (for something).” Note that derived verbs often conserve the older meaning of “turning one's attention (to)”, “thinking:” atcerēties (“to remember”), apcerēt (“to consider, to contemplate”), iecerēt (“to plan, to intend”), sacerēt (“to write, to compose”).^[1]

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cerēt (transitive or intransitive, 3rd conjugation, present ceru, ceri, cer, past cerēju)

1. to hope (to expect and wish for something to happen)

   cerēt uz laimi ― to hope for happiness

   cerēt labāko ― to hope for the best

   ceram drīz saņemt atbildi ― we hope to receive a reply soon

   visi cerēja, ka laiks būs labs ― all hoped that the weather would be good

   brauciens izdevies labāk, neka cerēts ― the trip was more successful than (had been) hoped

   uz to nav ko cerēt ― about that there is nothing to hope for

   daudz gaidīju, daudz cerēju, bet laime mani vīla ― I waited long, I hoped much, but happiness deceived (= eluded) me

   es biju cerējis pavisam ko citu ― I had hoped for something completely different

2. to rely (on someone), to expect (e.g., help, from someone)

   jā, Andra tēvs stipri cerēja uz saviem “bagātiem radiem” ― Yes, Andris' father strongly relied on, hoped for (help from) his “rich family”

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