taustīt

Originally the iterative form of an older verb *taut (whence also taujāt (“to inquire”), quod vide), from Proto-Baltic *taw-, from Proto-Indo-European *tew- (“to swell”). Since people often touch painful swellings, the semantic evolution was perhaps: “to swell” → “to touch a swelling” → “to touch”.^[1]

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taustīt (transitive, 3rd conjugation, present taustu, tausti, tausta, past taustīju)

1. to feel, to touch, to palpate (to use the sense of touch, usually via one's hands, to obtain information about something)

   taustīt drānu ― to feel, to touch cloth

   roka tausta pieri ― the hand touched, felt the forehead

   taustīt ar kājām upes dibenu ― to feel the river bottom with (one's) feet

   taustīt ceļu ― to feel the way

   taustīt pulsu ― to feel (someone's) pulse

   Kaspars pacēla nazi un, acis piemiedzis, uzmanīgi ņēmās ar pirkstu taustīt asmeni ― Kaspars picked up the knife and, squinting his eyes, carefully started to feel the blade with (his) finger

   viņai uzradās vēlme nomest kurpes, noġērbt zeķes, soļojot taustīt ar kailām kājām zemi ― in her the desire appeared to drop (her) shoes, take off (her) socks and walking feel the ground with (her) bare feet

   pēkšņi man ši telpa šķita briesmīgi tumša un mitra; līkās, kāda ledaina roka ložņa ap kājām un tausta aukstiem pirkstiem ― suddenly this room seemed terribly dark and wet to me; it seemed as if an icy hand crawled on (people's) legs and felt, touched (around) with cold fingers

2. (figuratively) to feel, to examine; to try to perceive

   steidzīgi Ģirts ar acīm taustīja meitenes augumu, ik brīdi baidīdamies ieraudzīt kaut ko briesmīgu ― Ģirts urgently felt, examined the girl's body with his eyes, fearing every moment to see something terrible

   direkotrs lūkoja ieskatīties zvejnieku sejās, taustīja noksaņojumu ― the director tried to look into the fishermen's faces, feeling the mood

3. to feel around, for (to search for something with the help of the sense of touch)

   taustīt čības pagultē ― to feel around for (one's) slippers under the bed

   kājām arumu taustot, gāju uz fermas ugunīm tumsā ― feeling the plowed ground with (my) feet, I went in the dark to the farm lights

   cilvēks ārpusē tausta durvis; atradis rokturi, viņš skaļi pieklauvē ― a person outside felt the door; finding the handle, he knocked loud

   mūsu mašīna tausta ceļu gar Zemgales pierobežu ― our car felt the way around the Zemgale border

prefixed verbs:

• tauste
• tausteklis
• taustiņš
• taustīties