skuķis

From skust (“to scratch, to scrape”), a dialectal variant of skūt (“to shave”): a derived form *skutis > *skuķis (compare with *katis > kaķis (“cat”)), probably generalized from Courland dialects. The original meaning was “that which scratches, scrapes,” probably referring at first to ticks or lice, then later to children (probably because of their small size; in some dialects, it can still refer to boys), and finally “girl.” The masculine form is older, possibly from an earlier neuter; the feminine form skuķe is more recent.^[1]

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skuķis m (2nd declension)

1. (colloquial) girl, young woman

   Brekšiem bija trīs bērni: Jūle, prāvs skuķis, jau gana vecumā, Dāvis un Rūdis ― the Brekšs had three children: Jūle, a big girl, already quite old, Dāvis and Rūdis

   Andreja sieva vairākkārt nosauca pakaļ savam skuķim, lai nesabrien kurpītes ― Andrejs' wife went many times to call her girl, so that she wouldn't get her little shoes wet

   priekšā iznāca meitene zaļā tērpā un kurpēs ar neticami augstiem papēžiem... “velna skuķis!” viņš nogrozīja galvu; “kā viņa dzied un kā skatās!” ― forward came a young woman in a green dress and shoes with incredibly high heels... “darn girl!” he shook his head; “she sings and looks so great!”

2. (colloquial) young woman who does not lead a decent life, who is slutty, or a possible criminal

• (of "girl"): meitene, meitenīte, skuķēns
• (of "young, unmarried woman"): meita, meitene, skuķe

• (antonym(s) of “of "girl"”): zēns, zeņķis, puika, puisēns, puisītis
• (antonym(s) of “of "young, unmarried woman"”): zēns, puika, puisis