jēga

From Proto-Baltic *jḗˀgāˀ, from Proto-Indo-European *yēgʷeh₂ (“power, youthful strength”). The original meaning was thus “strength, power,” later changed to “knowledge, sense, meaning” (probably first in the verb jēgt, from “to be able to” to “to know how”, “to know”, and later in the noun). The meaning “intelligent person,” attested in the 18th century, has not survived, except in the derived term nejēga “ignorant.” Cognates include Lithuanian jėga (“force, power”), Ancient Greek ἥβη (hḗbē, “power, youthful strength”).^[1]

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jēga f (4th declension)

1. meaning, sense, point (deeper content of something, motivation for something)

   teikuma jēga ― the meaning, sense of a sentence

   runas, raksta jēga ― the meaning of a speech, of a written piece

   dzīves jēga ― the meaning of life

   tur nebija nekādas jēgas ― there was no point in that

   kāda jēga tā runāt? ― what is the point of talking like that?

   runāt bez jēgas ― to talk without sense (= nonsense)

   cilvēkam dzīvē vajag lielu mērķi un neatlaidību... tad viņš var dzīvot; tad vien viņa dzīvei ir jēga ― a person needs goals and perseverance in (his) life... then he can live; only then his life has meaning

   ja esi filatēlists, tad par savu tematu jāsavāc viss... tur slēpjas kolekcionēšanas jēga ― if you are a stamp collector, then you must collect everything about your theme... therein lies the meaning of collecting

2. mind, understanding, knowledge

   viņš ir galīgi zaudējis jēgu ― he has definitely lost his mind (= he only talks nonsense)

   viņam par to nav nekādas jēgas ― he has no understanding, knowledge of that

   vajag runāt ar jēgu! ― we must talk knowingly! (lit. with knowledge)

   par celtniecības stiliem arī man nebija daudz jēgas ― I didn't have much knowledge, understanding of construction styles

   sapņot arī vajag ar jēgu, lai labums sev un citiem ― it is also necessary to dream with understanding (= not chaotically), so that there is benefit for oneself and others

• (of "meaning, sense"): nozīme, saturs
• (of "mind, understanding"): izpratne, prāts, saprāts

• jēdzīgs

  bezjēdzīgs, bezjēdzīgums, bezjēdzība

• nejēga

• jēdziens, jēdzienisks
• jēgt