spilgts

Latvian

Etymology

Originally the past participle of an old (still dialectally attested) verb spilgt (“to shine”), from Proto-Baltic *spelg-, *spilg-, *spulg- (whence also spulgs), from Proto-Indo-European *pel-, *spel-, *spʰel- (“to shine”) with an extra g. Cognates include Low German flink (“bright, shining; fast”) (cf. German flink (“quick, nimble”)).

Pronunciation

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Adjective

spilgts (definite spilgtais, comparative spilgtāks, superlative visspilgtākais, adverb spilgti)

1. (of light, light sources) bright (very strong; which emits strong light)

   spilgta gaisma ― bright light

   spilgta uguns, liesma ― bright fire, flame

   spilgts zibens ― bright lightning

   spilgta saule ― bright sun

   lielās dzīvsudraba spuldzes ir tik spilgtas, ka kož acīs ― the big mercury lamps are so bright that they hurt (lit. bite in) the eyes

2. (of colors) bright, vivid

   spilgts krāsas tonis ― bright color shade

   spilgti sarkans ― bright red

3. (of other objects) bright, shiny (which reflects light strongly)

   spilgts audums ― bright, shiny fabric

   puisis apstājas pie apaļās cīniju dobes un vēro spilgtos ziedus ― the young man stopped by the round zinnia beds and watched the bright, shiny flowers

   varde tupēja man uz plaukstas: mikla, vēsa un tik neparasti spilgta, it kā glumo ādu būtu apgleznojusi ekspresionista ota ― the frog sat on the palm of my hand: soft, cool and unusually bright, shiny, as if its smooth, slippery skin had been painted with an expressionist brush

4. (figuratively) clear, striking, powerful, remarkable (mentally, emotionally very impressive)

   spilgts piemērs ― a striking example

   spilgti pretstati ― striking contrasts

   spilgts talants ― striking, impressive talent

   spilgta izrādes epizode ― striking, impressive show episode

   spilgts romāna tēls ― powerful, striking literary (lit. novel) character

   Alfrēds Kalniņš ir viena no visspilgtākajām, savdabīgākajām personībām latviešu mūzikas vēsturē ― Alfrēds Kalniņš is one of the brightest, most striking personalities in Latvian musical history

   cilvēku parasti pazudina viņa visspilgtākā rakstura īpašība, kas ar laiku kļūst par vājību ― a person is usually ruined by his most striking character trait, which with time becomes (his/her) weakness

5. (dated sense, of sounds; now usually spalgs) very loud, strong

   bet vējš tik skaļiem smiekliem pasmejas... līdz smejas kaivas spilgtiem kliedzieniem ― but the wind laughs with such loud laughs... (and) with the laughs (also) a seagull's sharp, loud squawks

Declension

Synonyms

• gaišs
• spīdīgs
• spodrs
• spožs
• spulgs

Antonyms

• blāvs
• nespodrs
• tumšs

Derived terms

• spilgtums

Related terms

• spalgs
• spulgs

References