pirkt

This word is traditionally derived from Proto-Baltic *per-k-, *pr̥k-, from Proto-Indo-European *per- (“taking over, past something”) (whence Latvian prepositions par, pār, q.v.), as a verb “to take over, past (somewhere)” > “to take (somewhere) to sell” > “to sell”, with an extra k. With this meaning, cf. Ancient Greek περνάναι (pernánai), πιπράσκειν (pipráskein, “to sell, to export”), and Old Irish renim (“I sell”) (< *pr̥-nā-). In the Baltic languages, the meaning “to sell” became “to buy,” given the nature of buying and selling as two aspects of the same two-sided event. From the same stem also prece (“product, ware, merchandise”), q.v. A more recent suggestion is that pirkt may derive from another Proto-Indo-European stem *per- (“to hit”) (whence pērkons (“thunder”), q.v.), with as original meaning “to rob, to plunder;” in several Indo-European languages, verbs of buying originate from verbs of taking (cf. Latin emere (“to buy”), earlier “to take”). Cognates include Lithuanian pir̃kti.^[1]

• IPA^(key):

This entry needs an audio pronunciation. If you are a native speaker with a microphone, please record this word. The recorded pronunciation will appear here when it's ready.

pirkt (transitive, 1st conjugation, present pērku, pērc, pērk, past pirku)

1. to buy, to purchase (to obtain, to acquire something by paying an appropriate amount of money)

   pirkt pārtiku ― to buy groceries

   pirkt lakatu, zābakus ― to buy a scarf, boots

   pirkt gleznu ― to buy a painting

   pirkt biļetes ― to buy tickets

   dārgi, lēti pirkt ― to buy at an expensive, cheap price

   izdēvīgi pirkt ― to buy at a convenient price

   pirkt par skaidru naudu ― to buy (for) cash (lit. for clear money)

   pirkt skaidrā naudā ― to buy cash (lit. in clear money)

   pirkt uz kredīta, uz nomaksu ― to buy on credit, by installments

   viņš brauca uz Igauniju pirkt jaunu zirgu ― he went to Estonia to buy a new horse

   viņa pirka tikai pašu visnepieciešamako ― she bought only the most necessary (things)

   visi pērk, tātad arī man jāpērk ― everybody is buying, so I also have to buy

2. (figuratively) to buy (to obtain something with effort, with sacrifice)

   par milzīgu asinscenu pirkta uzvara pār fašismu ― the victory over fascism was bought with an enormous price in blood

• pārdot

prefixed verbs:

other derived terms:

• pircējs, pircēja
• pirkums