kreiss

From Proto-Indo-European *(s)ker- (“to turn, to bend”), changed to *krei- (whence also kreilis (“left-hander”)), with a suffix -so. The meaning evolved from “bent, crooked” to “not strong, clumsy, weaker, less good,” hence “left (hand),” as opposed to the “good,” “able” right hand. Cognates include Old Prussian crays (“hay”), craysi (“stalk, straw”) (presumably from “that which bends, rocks”).^[1]

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kreiss (definite kreisais, comparative kreisāks, superlative viskreisākais, adverb kreisi)

1. (usually definite forms) left, left-side (located on the side of the human body that contains the heart)

   kreisā acs, roka, kāja ― left eye, hand, foot

   kreisais plecs ― left shoulder

2. (usually definite forms) left, left-side (located on the side (of another living being or object) that is analogous to the human left side)

   suņa kreisā auss ― a dog's left ear

   lidmašīnas kreisais spārns ― an airplane's left wing

   automobiļa priekšējais kreisais ritenis ― the car's left rear wheel

   rakstāmgalda augšēja kreisā atvilkne ― the desk's top left drawer

   skatuves kreisā mala ― the stage's left side, edge

   upes kreisais krasts ― a river's left bank

   iet pa ietves kreiso pusi ― to go, walk on the left side of the pavement

   iet uz kreiso pusi ― go to the left side

3. (adverbial form, with pa) on, to the left

   ezers ir pa kreisi ― the lake is on the left

   nogriezties pa kreisi ― to turn left

4. (politics) left, left-wing (politically progressive, in favor of social change; revolutionary)

   parlamenta kreisās partijas ― the left-wing parties of parliament

   kreisā frakcija, grupa ― left-wing fraction, group

   kreisais virziens ― left-wing current, tendency

   cik kreiss ir vidējais Latvijas iedzīvotājs? ― how (much) left-wing is the average inhabitant of Latvia?

This adjective is generally used in its definite forms (kreisais, kreisā, etc.). The indefinite forms do occur as predicates after the verb būt (“to be”), especially in the political, “left-wing” sense (see examples above).

• (antonym(s) of “physical”): labais (“right”)
• (antonym(s) of “political”): labējs (“right-wing”)

• kreilis