mazgāt

Originally the iterative form of an unattested verb *mazgt or mezgt, from Proto-Baltic *mazg-, from the o-grade form *mosg- of Proto-Indo-European *mesg- (“to immerse”). From the parallel stem *mask- some authors derive the word Moscow (Latvian Maskava).

Cognates include Lithuanian mazgóti, Russian dialectal могза (mogza, “blood”), Polish mazgać to smear, Sanskrit मज्जति (májjati, “to drown”), Latin mergō (“to immerse, to plunge”) (< *mezgō).^[1]

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mazgāt (transitive or intransitive, 2nd conjugation, present mazgāju, mazgā, mazgā, past mazgāju)

1. to wash (to clean something with water or with other liquid means)

   mazgāt seju, rokas, muti ― to wash (one's) face, hands, mouth

   mazgāt veļu ― to wash (one's) clothes, to do (one's) laundry

   mazgāt grīdu ar lupatu ― to wash the floor with a rag

   mazgāt traukus karstā ūdenī ― to wash the dishes in hot water

   roka roku mazgā, abas baltas ― a hand washes another, both white

   mazgāt rokus nevainībā ― to refuse blame (lit. to wash (one's) hands in innocence)

2. to clean dirt off something with water or with other liquid means

   mazgāt dubļus no zābakiem ― to wash the mud off (one's) boots

3. (animals) to wash by licking

   suns mazgā ķepu ― the dog licked (lit. washed) its paw

   kaķis tūliņ sāka lakt tasītē pienu, pēc tam nosēdās plānā zemē un mazgāja sev muti ― the cat immediately began to lick the cup of milk, then sat down on the flat ground and licked (lit. washed) his mouth

4. (figuratively, of streams, flowing water, liquids) to wash (over), to flow (over)

   lietus mazgā namu jumtus ― the rain washed the roofs of the houses

   ūdens strūkla mazgā putekļus ― the water spray washed the dirt away

   Daugavas viļņi mazgā krastmalas granītu ― the waves of the Daugava river washed the granite shores

   Ramona atver logu un izliecas ārā: silts pavasara lietiņš mazgā asfaltu, zālāju, apstādījumus ― Ramona opens the window and leans out: a warm spring rain washes the asphalt, the grass, the grenery

prefixed verbs:

other derived terms:

• mazgātājs, mazgātāja
• mazgātava
• mazgāties