liegt

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• Rhymes: -ixt

liegt

1. inflection of liegen:
   1. second/third-person singular present indicative
   2. (archaic) plural imperative

• IPA^(key): /liːkt/ (standard)

  • Audio:

    (file)

• IPA^(key): /liːçt/ (northern and central Germany; now chiefly colloquial)
• Homophone: leakt (standard only)

liegt

1. inflection of liegen:
   1. third-person singular present
   2. second-person plural present
   3. plural imperative

From Proto-Baltic *lieg-, from Proto-Indo-European *leig- (“to bend, to twist”) from *ley- (“to bend, to incline”) (whence also leja, q.v.) with an extra g. The original meaning was probably “to bend,” from which “to bend (so as to avoid),” then “to refuse,” “to deny” (cf. the reflexive form liegties, which still has similar meanings), then finally “to not allow, to prohibit.” It is possible that the reflexive form (or a derived form like aizliegt) served as a bridge, changing its meaning first and then affecting that of the non-reflexive liegt. Cognates include Lithuanian líegti (“to be very sick, weakened”), nulíegti (“to become tired”).^[1]

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liegt (transitive, 1st conjugation, present liedzu, liedz, liedz, past liedzu)

1. to refuse, to reject, to deny (a request, an offer, a right, the truth, etc.)

   liegt pabalstu ― to deny (someone) benefits, an allowance

   viņš sev nekā neliedz ― he doesn't refuse himself anything

   kādēļ viņš tik stūrgalvīgi liedza savu vainu? ― why did he deny his guilt so stubbornly?

   viņš pie darba bija gribējis palīdzēt, bet tēvs liedza ― he had wanted to help with the work, but (his) father refused

   visu šo laiku nopūlējusies, lai saņemtu atļauju dēla pārvešanai... ārsti liedzot ― all this time she had struggled to obtain a transfer permit for her son... (with) the doctors denying it

   bet naktsmājas taču mums neliegsiet? ― but surely you won't refuse us lodging for the night?

2. to not allow, to hinder, to prevent (something from happening)

   pilsētā nami liedz skrējienu brīvajam vējam ― in the city, the buildings prevent the wind from running (= blowing) freely

   aizspriedumi lauku sievietēm liedza piedalīties sabiedriskos pasākumos ― prejudice prevented country women from participating in public events

3. (dated sense) to not allow to marry, to not give in marriage

   un tad tu man Kristīnes neliegsi? ― so you will not deny me Kristīne (= not prevent me from marrying Kristīne)?

prefixed verbs:

• aizliegt
• noliegt

other derived terms

• liegties
• liegums