gatavs

This word is traditionally considered (together with its Lithuanian and Old Prussian cognates) a borrowing from Slavic, itself, in turn, also traditionally seen as a borrowing from Germanic (Gothic 𐌲𐌰𐍄𐌰𐌿𐌾𐌰𐌽 (gataujan) may have had a derived adjective *gataws).

A more recent hypothesis is that the Slavic words were not borrowed, but derive from Proto-Indo-European *gʷeh₂- (“to go, to leave”): from short-vowel forms like supine *gʷatu, one would have Proto-Slavic *got-, from which *gotovъ. The original meaning would have been “(about) to go,” “ready (to go),” from which “ready.” (For similar semantic changes, cf. German bereit (“ready”), reiten (“to ride”), fertig (“ready”), Fahrt (“a ride”), and English ready, ride). If this hypothesis is correct, then Latvian gatavs might also not be a borrowing, but a direct development of Proto-Indo-European *gʷeh₂- (“to go, to leave”): note that this stem has other Baltic reflexes not shared by Slavic (e.g., Lithuanian góti (“to go quickly”), or Latvian gāju (“I went”), gaita (“gait, pace”), gatve (“alley, avenue”), dialectal gatava (“path, alley”)). Note also that Latvian gatavs has some meanings and uses (“mature,” “ripe”; also “full, complete” in negative uses, e.g. “a complete idiot”) not shared by its Slavic counterparts (but, interestingly, often shared by its Finnic translation equivalents: Estonian valmis (“ready; ripe; finished”)), which suggests that it is an old word.

Cognates include Lithuanian gãtavas, Old Prussian pogattawint (“to prepare”), Old Church Slavonic готовъ (gotovŭ), Russian гото́вый (gotóvyj), Belarusian гато́вы (hatóvy), Ukrainian гото́вий (hotóvyj), Bulgarian гото́в (gotóv), Czech hotový, Polish gotowy, gotów, Gothic 𐌲𐌰𐍄𐌰𐌿𐌾𐌰𐌽 (gataujan), 𐍄𐌰𐌿𐌾𐌰𐌽 (taujan, “to do, to make, to be busy with”).^[1]

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gatavs (definite gatavais, comparative gatavāks, superlative visgatavākais, no adverb)

1. ready (such that it has reached its final or desired state, form; such that it has been prepared, completed)

   jauna ēka ir gatava ― the new building is ready

   zīmējums ir gatavs ― the drawing is ready

   pirkt gatavu mēteli ― to buy a ready(-made) coat

   gatava mašīnas detaļa ― a ready(-made) car part

   laivai airi jau gatavi ― the paddles are ready for the boat

   vakariņas ir gatavas ― dinner is ready (to eat)

   kartupeļi ir gatavi ― the potatoes are ready (= cooked)

   gatavai zupai pievieno zaļumus ― he adds vegetables to the ready (= already cooked) soup

   kad visraksts bija gatavs, es sāku domāt... ― when the title was ready, I started thinking...

   brokastis bija gatavas; vajadzēja tikai likt galdā ― the breakfast was ready; it just needed to be put on the table

   vai jums ir gatavs saraksts par skolas gados esošajiem bērniem? ― have you prepared a list (lit. do you have a ready list) of the children of school age?

2. ready (such that it is now able to do something, to be used in a certain way)

   gatavs darbam ― ready to work

   gatavs mācīties ― ready to study

   gatavs palīdzēt ― ready to help

   kaķis bija gatavs lēcienam ― the cat was ready to jump

   Imants nodreb, pēkšņi uzlec kājās: “nāciet, bendes! esmu gatavs mirt!” ― Imants shuddered (and) suddenly jumped up: “come, henchmen! I am ready to die!”

   es biju gatava derēt, ka sievietes domas un, kā man šķita, sapņainais skatiens šai brīdī kavējās ne tikai pie rozēm ― I was ready to bet that the woman's thoughts and, as it seemed to me, her dreamy glance did not linger only on the roses this time

   tētiņ, pirts nu ir gatava, bet kur ņemšu ūdeni? ― father, now the bath (place) is ready (for you), but where do I get water?

   rudzu zeme gatava, tikai patlaban bija pārāk sauss, vēl dažas dienas līdz sēšanai jāpagaida ― the rye land (is) ready, but right now it is too dry, one must wait a few days before sowing

3. (of thoughts, ideas) ready, ready-made, formulaic (prepared in advance, not taking into account the actual situation or context)

   bet viņai ir vienmēr par visu gatavi spredumi ― but she always has a ready judgment (= opinion) about everything

   stāstā nav netīkamas rakstnieka pozas, kuram jau iepriekš viss skaidrs, kuram vienmēr gatava atbilde uz jebkuru ― in the story there is no unpleasant posturing by the author, to whom everything is clear in advance, who has a ready answer to everything

4. (of fruits, seeds) ripe, mature (which has reached full growth)

   gatavi āboli ― ripe apples

   gatavs dzeltens bumbieris ― a ripe yellow pear

   tomāti ir gatavi ― the tomatoes are ripe

   rudzi jau gatavi ― the rye (is) already ripe

   labība ir gatava ― the crops are ripe, ready

   lasīt gatavas ogas ― to pick ripe berries

   rieksti bija pilnīgi brūni un gatavi ― the nuts were fully brown and ripe

5. (figuratively) ripe, mature (such that its quality has reached a high aesthetic level)

   nākošie darbi jau ir gatavāki, rakstnieks samērā labi atrisina formas un satura problēmas ― the next works are more mature, the writer has better solved the problems of form and content

   radīta viena no labākajām, mākslinieciski gatavākajām šā teātra izrādēm ― one of the best, artistically most mature performances of this theater has been created

6. (usually in the definite form) real, true; used to reinforce the, usually negative, meaning of the following word

   gatavais palaidnis ― a real(ly) mischievous child

   gatavais negals ar zēnu ― real trouble, problems with (that) boy

   gatavais putnu biedēklis ― a true scarecrow (= a really ugly person)

   tas nebija dēlis, bet gatavais stikls ― that wasn't a (wooden) log, but real glass

7. (colloquial) finished; dead

   viņam iekoda čūska, un pēc dažām stundām gatavs bija ― a snake bit him, and after a few hours he was finished (= dead)

   dabūjis netīšu sitienu pa deniņiem: gatavs ― he got an accidental blow on the head: finished (= now he is dead)

• gatavība
• gatavums

• gatavot