valgs

Latvian

Alternative forms

• (dialectal terms) velgs, vilgs

Etymology

From Proto-Baltic *walg-, from the o-grade form of Proto-Indo-European *welg- (“humid”), from the stem *wel- (“to press, to squeeze”) with an extra g (a parallel form *welk- with k gave rise to Latvian valkans (“wet and soft”)). The semantic change was probably from “pressed, squeezed (so as to become soft)” > “soft (also from other reasons, e.g. humidity)” > “humid.” Other ablaut forms gave rise to dialectal synonymous forms like velgs and vilgs, as well as the standard term vilgt (“to become moist, humid”).

Cognates include Lithuanian vìlgti (“to become wet”), vìlgyti, Proto-Slavic *volga (“humidity, moisture”) (Old Church Slavonic влага (vlaga), Russian влага (vlaga), Bulgarian влага (vlaga), Belarusian вільгаць (vilʹhacʹ), Ukrainian волога (voloha), Czech vláha), Old High German wëlk (“humid, soft”), German welk (“faded”), Old High German wolkan, German Wolke (“cloud”), Thracian olgan(o) (“humid”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key):

This entry needs an audio pronunciation. If you are a native speaker with a microphone, please record this word. The recorded pronunciation will appear here when it's ready.

Adjective

valgs (definite valgais, comparative valgāks, superlative visvalgākais, adverb valgi)

1. humid, moist, damp, wet (having absorbed or containing moisture or vapor, being covered by some moisture)

   valgas smiltis ― humid sand

   valga zeme ― humid earth

   valgs māls ― wet clay

   valga loga rūts ― humid, wet window pane

   valgas lūpas ― moist lips

   valgi mati ― damp, wet hair

   augsnei, kurā audzē tomātus, jābūt valgai, bet ne slapjai ― the soil where one grows tomatoes must be humid, but not wet

   acis no asarām kļūst valgas ― (his) eyes become moist with tears

2. humid, moist (containing more water vapor than usual)

   valga migla ― humid fog

   valgs rietumu vējš ― humid east wind

   valga vēsma ― humid breeze

   gaiss būdā pa nakti kļūst valgs no zemes mitruma ― during the night, the air in the hut becomes humid from the humidity of the soil

Declension

Synonyms

• mikls
• mitrs
• slapjš

Antonyms

• sauss

Derived terms

• valgans
• valgme
• valgums

Related terms

• vilgt

References