meklēt

Latvian

Etymology

The origin of this word is not clear. Some researchers link it to Latvian mācēt (“to know how, to be able to”), Russian dialectal намо́кнуть (namóknutʹ, “to become accustomed”), Polish dialectal makać (“to touch, to hit”), maklać, makłać (“to touch”). Others suggest that meklēt comes from Proto-Indo-European *mē- (“to measure”), via Proto-Baltic *met-l- (cf. mest (“to throw”) > *met-ti < *mē-) > mekl-. A third idea is that meklēt is related to dialectal terms for “digging”, like meknīt, mekņīt “to dig (in a thick mass)”, meksēt, mekšēt, mekšķēt (“to dig; to eat with appetite”). If originally the stem is supposed to have meant “to dig (into a thick mass)”, then it would be possible to derive meklēt from Proto-Indo-European *mak-, *māk- (“wet”), leading to an older verb *mekt, of which meklēt would originally have been the iterative form; the semantic evolution would have been “thick, wet substance” > “to dig into a thick, wet substance” > “to search for something (in a thick, wet substance)” > “to search, to look for”. Cognates include Lithuanian mė́klinti (“to suspect; to mention; to recall; to think; to consider, to ponder”), Russian dialectal ме́кать, мека́ть (mékatʹ, mekátʹ, “to think, to believe, to know, to sense, to hope for”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [mɛklɛ̂ːt]

• Audio:

  (file)

Verb

meklēt (transitive, 2nd conjugation, present meklēju, meklē, meklē, past meklēju)

1. to search for, to look for (something or someone lost, hidden, etc.)

   meklēt pazaudētos cimdus ― to look for the lost gloves

   meklēt kabatās atslēgus ― to look for the keys in (one's) pockets

   meklēt atvilktnē dokumentu ― to look for a document in the drawer

   meklēt karā pazudušos vecākus ― to look for parents who disappeared during the war

   galvu noliecis, viņš meklē naudu ― having bowed (his) head, he is looking for the money

   viņa rosījās pa istabu, meklēdama kādu šķīvi un nazi ar dakšiņu ― she was busy all around the room, looking for a plate with a fork and knife

2. to search for, to look for (to try to perceive or discern something)

   meklēt zvēru pēdas ― to look for animal trails, footprints

   meklēt pieeju upei ― to look for an access to the river

   meklēt ceļu uz ezeru ― to look for the road to the lake

   viņš steidzās meklēt Tīrumu ielu ― he hastened to look for Tīrumu street

   viņi meklē pa īsviļņiem kuģu sasaukšanos dažādās nesaprotamās valodās ― they looked for ship hails in several unknown languages on shortwaves

3. to search for, to look for (to try to find by researching, analyzing)

   meklēt naftas atradnes ― to search for oil fields

   diamanti tika meklēti arī citur: Kolas pussalā, Jeņisejas baseinā ― (they) searched for diamonds also elsewhere: in the Kola pensinsula, in the Yenissey basin

4. (of errors, mistakes) to search for, to look for, to check for

   meklēt brāķi ― to look for a defective item

   meklēt tekstā iespiedkļūdas ― to look for typographical errors in a text

5. to search for, to look for (to try to find or obtain something that one needs or wants)

   meklēt darbu ― to look for work, a job

   meklēt aizņēmumu ― to look for a loan

   meklēt veikalos uzvalkam drānu ― to look in the shops for cloth for a suit

   rajona kolhozi meklē daudzgadīgo zāļu sēklas ― the local collective farm is looking for seeds of perennial plants

6. to look for, to try to meet (someone), to try to find (someone, e.g., for a job)

   meklēt palīgu ― to look for help (= a helper, an assistant)

   meklēt darbiniekus ― to look for employees

   “paklausies, Arvīd!” Baltābols pienāca: “kāds vīrs tevi meklē; bijis pie tevis jau mājā” ― “listen, Arvid!” Baltābols came (to him): “some guy is looking for you; he has already been to your house”

7. to look for, to seek (to try to be in a certain situation, to have a certain emotion)

   meklēt prieku ― to seek pleasure

   meklēt mierinājumu ― to seek comfort, solace, consolation

   meklēt brīvu brīdi ― to look for a free moment

   vecais pārlaida skatu visapkārt, it kā meklēdams palīdzību ― the old man looked all around, as if seeking help

8. to look for, to search for (to try to obtain some information, to think of something, to create something new in one's mind)

   meklēt pierādījumus ― to look for evidence

   meklēt problēmas atrisinājumu ― to look for a solution to a problem

   meklēt jaunas darba metodes ― to look for new ways of working

   meklēt izeju no situācijas ― to look for a way out of the situation

   meklēt vārdus ― to look for words (= to try to say something appropriate)

   institūta ļaudis meklē vislabākos variantus ― the institute people are looking for the best options

Conjugation

conjugation of meklēt

	INDICATIVE (īstenības izteiksme)				IMPERATIVE (pavēles izteiksme)
		Present (tagadne)	Past (pagātne)	Future (nākotne)
1st pers. sg.	es	meklēju	meklēju	meklēšu	—
2nd pers. sg.	tu	meklē	meklēji	meklēsi	meklē
3rd pers. sg.	viņš, viņa	meklē	meklēja	meklēs	lai meklē
1st pers. pl.	mēs	meklējam	meklējām	meklēsim	meklēsim
2nd pers. pl.	jūs	meklējat	meklējāt	meklēsiet, meklēsit	meklējiet
3rd pers. pl.	viņi, viņas	meklē	meklēja	meklēs	lai meklē
RENARRATIVE (atstāstījuma izteiksme)			PARTICIPLES (divdabji)
Present	meklējot		Present Active 1 (Adj.)		meklējošs
Past	esot meklējis		Present Active 2 (Adv.)		meklēdams
Future	meklēšot		Present Active 3 (Adv.)		meklējot
Imperative	lai meklējot		Present Active 4 (Obj.)		meklējam
CONDITIONAL (vēlējuma izteiksme)			Past Active		meklējis
Present	meklētu		Present Passive		meklējams
Past	būtu meklējis		Past Passive		meklēts
DEBITIVE (vajadzības izteiksme)			NOMINAL FORMS
Indicative	(būt) jāmeklē		Infinitive (nenoteiksme)		meklēt
Conjunctive 1	esot jāmeklē		Negative Infinitive		nemeklēt
Conjunctive 2	jāmeklējot		Verbal noun		meklēšana

Derived terms

prefixed verbs:

• apmeklēt
• izmeklēt
• nomeklēt
• pameklēt
• pārmeklēt
• piemeklēt
• sameklēt
• uzmeklēt

other derived terms:

• meklējums
• meklētājs, meklētāja