puisis

Borrowed from Livonian pȯis (“little child”) (cf. also Estonian poiss, Finnish dialectal poissi), the diminutive of pūoga (“son, child”). From the same term also puika was borrowed (q.v.). Apparently, puisis is older than puika, since it is already mentioned in 17th-century sources, and occurs in 16th-century family names.^[1]

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puisis m (2nd declension)

1. (unmarried) young man, youth, boy

   puiša dienas ― young man's days (i.e., before marriage)

   palikt, dzīvot puisī ― to remain, to live as (lit. in) a young man (= unmarried)

   vasarā klēts bija jauniešu - puišu un meitu - iemīļota satikšanās vieta ― in summer the barn was the favorite meeting place of young people - boys and girls

   un nākotne nu bija tāda, ka Ilga precēsies ar šo puisi ― and the future was now such that Ilga (had) married this young man

2. (less frequentlly) boy (male child)

   “cik tev gadu, puis?” prasu zēnam; “drīz būs četri, bet pagaidām... trīs un divi mēneši”, viņš lepni atbild ― “how old are you, boy?” I ask the boy; “soon I'll be four, but for now... three and two months,” he answered proudly

3. (dated) servant, help; unmarried servant

   krogus puisis ― the pub, bar boy (= bartender)

   pasta puisis ― the mail guy (= mailman, postman)

   zirgu puisis ― horse, stable boy

   vasara puisis ― a summer boy (= hired for the summer)

   salīgt pie saimnieka par puisi ― to be hired by a farmer as a boy (= young servant)

• (of "young man"): jaunietis, jauneklis, puika
• (of "male child"): zēns, zeņķis, puika, puisēns, puisītis
• (of "helper", "servant"): kalps

• (antonym(s) of “of "male child"”): meitene, meitenīte, skuķēns
• (antonym(s) of “of "young man"”): jauniete, meitene, meita, skuķis, skuķe

• puisēns