kustonis

Derived from kustēt (“to move”) (or perhaps the original *kust) +‎ -onis. This word used to mean “insect” (today kukainis); its meaning was expanded in the 19th century, so that by the beginning of the 20th century it was a synonym of dzīvnieks (“animal”).^[1]

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kustonis m (2nd declension)

1. animal (living being that feeds on organic matter and is capable of moving but not of abstract thinking)

   kūts visiem kustoņiem ir kopēja... vienīgi katrai sugai ierādīts savs kakts ― all animals have the barn in common... to every species its place (lit. corner) is shown

2. (colloquial) parasites

   te ums, večiņ, būs mierīgāka dzīve... te jūs nebūsiet nevienam pa kājām un neaplaidisiet arī visus ar saviem kustoņiem —

   pie sienām izkārtas gleznas ar visādiem zvēriem, putniem un čūskām... kādu tik pasaulē nav to kustoņu! ― on the wall, paintings with all kinds of animals, birds and snakes were hanging... how many of these animals there are in our world!

• (animals in general): dzīvnieks
• (insects): kukainis
• (farm animals): lops
• (wild animals): zvērs

• kustēt, kustēties
• kustība
• kustīgs, kustīgums