talants

Latvian

Etymology

Via other European languages, ultimately borrowed from Latin talentum (“weight, monetary unit”), itself a borrowing from Ancient Greek τάλαντον (tálanton, “weight, monetary unit”). The “gift” meaning is probably a metaphor, based on the "money" meaning (“rich” → “gifted”).

Pronunciation

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Noun

talants m (1st declension)

1. talent (special physical or mental skill for a certain area of activity, especially when inborn)

   rakstnieka, komponista talants ― writer's, composer's talent

   pedagoga talants ― teacher's talent

   aktiera talants ― actor's talent

   attīstīt talantu ― to develop (one's) talent

   viņam ir talants mūzikā ― he has talent for (lit. in) music

   uz skatuves ir parādījušies daudzi apdāvināti, bet talantā uzplaukuši tikai tie, kam pieticis spēka un gribas savu talantu kopt ― on the stage many gifted (people) have shown themselves, but only those thrived into talent who had enough strength and will to cultivate their (inborn) talent

   viena no svarīgākajām talanta pazīmēm ir spēja saskatīt sabiedrībai svarīgāko, mākslinieciski nozīmīgāko ― one of the most important signs of talent is the capacity to see what is important, what is artistically significant in society

   mākslinieka talants parādās jau tēlojamo parādību izlāsē ― the artistic talent shows itself already in the selection of phenomena to portray

2. talent (capacity, skill for something specific)

   Ingunas skatiens ziņkārīgi pārslīdēja viešņām, pētīdams, kura no šīm meitenēm varētu būt apveltīta ar mājasmātes talantu ― Inguna's look curiously went over the (female) guests, trying to find out which of these girls could be endowed with a hostess' talent

   viņam bija viens talants: katram pretimnācējam no sirds kaut ko apsolīt un pēc pāris soļiem to totāli aizmirst ― he had only one talent: to promise something from his heart to every person he met, and after a few steps to forget it completely

3. talent (a person who has a special skill or capacity, a gifted person)

   aug jauni talanti ― new talents are growing

   puķēm smaržu un krāsu nevar aprakstīt; tāpat arī Bertu Rūmnieci, šo unikālo talantu, nevar aprakstīt vai, vēl vairāk, izstāstīt ― one cannot describe the color or smell of a flower; likewise, one cannot describe, or, more importantly, narrate Berta Rūmniece, this unique talent

4. (Ancient Greece) talent (ancient measure of weight, approximately 25 kg; ancient currency in Ancient Greece)

Declension

Derived terms

• talantīgs
• talantīgums