griezt

Latvian

Etymology 1

From earlier *grenz-, from Proto-Baltic *grenž-, from Proto-Indo-European *grenǵ-, from the zero grade of Proto-Indo-European *ger- (“to turn; to wind; to wreathe”) with an extra ǵ and an infix -n-. A minority opinion considers griezt (“to turn”) to have the same origin as griezt (“to cut”) (see below), with the circular motion meaning coming from certain ways of cutting. Cognates include Lithuanian grę̃žti (“to drill, to turn, to change, to mend”), Old Prussian granstis (“one who drills, who drilled”), greanste ([grēnste], “rope made of woven, wound branches”), Old Norse kringr (“ring”), kringla (“ring, circle”), kranga (“to crawl, to creep, to drag oneself”), German Kringel (“loop, curl, squiggle”), Dutch krinkel (“loop; twist”).^[1]

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): [ɡrīɛ̄st]
Audio: (file)

Verb

griezt (transitive, 1st conjugation, present griežu, griez, griež, past griezu)

to turn, to spin (to move, to cause something to move in circular motion, around an axis)
griezt tecīlu ― to turn the grindstone

ūdens griež turbīnas ― the water turns the turbine

Ieva grieza telefona ripu ― Ieva dialed (lit. turned the telephone dial)

puiši griež meitenes dejā ― the boys turn the girls in the dance
(usually of the wind) to turn, to whirl (to cause something to move in a whirl, swirl)
ass vējš grieza sniega mutuļus ― the sharp wind gave the snow a whirl (lit. turned snow whirls)

rudens vējš purina kokus, atrauj un griež virpulī zeltainas lapas ― the autumn wind shakes the trees, tears the golden leaves apart and turns them in a whirl(wind)
(when dancing) to turn, to whirl, to dance in fast circles
griezt valsi ― to whirl (= dance) a waltz

pēc gadiem trauku polku griežu ― after (many) years I am (now) whirling (= dancing) a crazy polka
to turn (to change the position or the direction of motion of something)
griezt automašīnu pa labi ― to turn the car to the right

griezt zirgu uz ceļa ― to turn the horse (back) to the road

griezt lopus uz māju pusi ― to turn the animals back home

griezt par labu ― to turn to good (= to fix, to make up for)

viņi iedarbina motoru un griež laivu atpakaļ uz pilsētu ― he started the motor and turned the ship back to(ward) the city

Ceplis tiešām nesaprata, kā viņš bija visu to varējis, pilnīgi pazaudējot pašsavaldīšanos... tagad vajadzēja mēģināt visu par labu griezt ― Ceplis really couldn't understand how he had been able to do all that, to have completely lost his self-control... now he had to try to make (lit. turn) it good (= fix it, make up for it)
(usually with apkārt, otrādi, uz otru pusi) to turn (to reverse the orientation or configuration of something to its opposite)
griezt apkārt ― to turn around (= upside down)

griezt cimdu otrādi ― to turn the glove (inside out)

griezt mēteli uz otro pusi ― to turn the coat (inside out)

griezt kažokam otru pusi, griezt kažoku uz otro pusi ― to turn the coat (= to change one's position completely)

trīs dienas pēc kārtas griezu apkārt visus Rīgas cepuru veikalus; uzlaikoju tūkstošiem dažādu platmaļu ― three days in a row I turn all hat shops in Rīga upside down (looking for something); I tried thousands of different hats on
to turn, to turn around (to move (something) in all directions, from one side to another, to and fro (usually nervously)
griezt vēstuli rokās ― he turned the letter in his hands

rakstā viņš iemeta tikai paviršu mirkli, bet zīmogu aplūkoja pamatīgi, papīru pirkstos riņķi griezdams un iestādes nosaukumu burtodams ― he cast only a superficial glance on the text, but the seal he examined thoroughly, turning the paper in his hands and spelling the name of the institution
to turn (to point, to direct something to, at, against something else; also metaphorically, e.g., attention, a topic of conversation)
griezt ieročus pret ienaidnieku ― to turn (one's) weapon against the enemy

griezt seju pret sauli ― to turn (one's) face to the sun

katrs vēja pūtiens griež viņas skatienu pāri ciemam uz jūru ― every blow of the wind turns her gaze over the village to the sea

Gusts ienācis un apsveicinājies sāka valodu griezt uz nupat nobeigto sēju ― Gusts came in and, after greeting, began to turn the talk (= conversation) to the just abandoned sowing

Kārlis pirmais palēnina soļus, lai nebūtu piepeši jāapstājas un tā jāgriež uz sevi uzmanība ― Kārlis first slowed down his steps, so that he wouldn't have to stop and turn (other people's) attention to himself
to weave, to roll up (to make something by wrapping, rolling up, weaving something else)
griezt cigāru ― to roll up a cigar

griezt virvi ― to weave a rope

Jānis sniedzas pēc tabakas un griež rūpīgi un apdomīgi no kāda plāna papīra smēķi ― Jānis reached for the tobacco and rolled up every thin (piece of) paper carefully and deliberately into a smoke (= cigarette)
to turn, to bend, to twirl (to curve the shape of something; to produce something curved while growing)
griezt ūsas ― to twirl (one's) mustache

(sa)griezt gredzenā ― to turn, bend (something) into a ring

grieztās riņķa kāpnes ― a circular staircase (lit. stairs turned into a cirlce)

agrīnie lini jau sāka griezt galus sprogās ― the early flax had already started turning its ends into curls

mums mājās dobē agrie kāposti jau grieza galviņas, bet arī nezāles bija stipri sakuplojušas ― in (their) beds in our home the cabbages have already turned (= grown) heads, but also the weeds have grown thick
to wring, to twist (e.g., wet clothes) in order to force out the liquid
griezt palagu pēc skalošanas ― to wring the sheets after washing

griezt salijušas drēbes ― to wring drenched clothes

viņš uzmeta acis zēna glābējam, kas bija novilcis virsbikses un grieza nost lieko ūdeni ― he turned his eyes to the rescuer of the child, who had taken off his overpants and was wringing the excess water out
(colloquial) to work, to make, to do something (important)
es jau ar mežiem griežu lielas lietas, un koku fabrika arī man labi strādā ― I am turning (= doing) great things with the forests, and the wood factory works well for me

kas ir mana fotodarbnīca, salīdzinot ar tiem darba apjomiem, kādus mēs griežam kolhozā!? ― what is my foto lab, in comparison with the range of work that we turn (= do) in the collective farm!?

Conjugation

conjugation of griezt

	INDICATIVE (īstenības izteiksme)				IMPERATIVE (pavēles izteiksme)
		Present (tagadne)	Past (pagātne)	Future (nākotne)	IMPERATIVE (pavēles izteiksme)
1st pers. sg.	es	griežu	griezu	griezīšu	—
2nd pers. sg.	tu	griez	griezi	griezīsi	griez
3rd pers. sg.	viņš, viņa	griež	grieza	griezīs	lai griež
1st pers. pl.	mēs	griežam	griezām	griezīsim	griezīsim
2nd pers. pl.	jūs	griežat	griezāt	griezīsiet, griezīsit	grieziet
3rd pers. pl.	viņi, viņas	griež	grieza	griezīs	lai griež

RENARRATIVE (atstāstījuma izteiksme)			PARTICIPLES (divdabji)
Present	griežot		Present Active 1 (Adj.)		griezošs
Past	esot griezis		Present Active 2 (Adv.)		griezdams
Future	griezīšot		Present Active 3 (Adv.)		griežot
Imperative	lai griežot		Present Active 4 (Obj.)		griežam
CONDITIONAL (vēlējuma izteiksme)			Past Active		griezis
Present	grieztu		Present Passive		griežams
Past	būtu griezis		Past Passive		griezts
DEBITIVE (vajadzības izteiksme)			NOMINAL FORMS
Indicative	(būt) jāgriež		Infinitive (nenoteiksme)		griezt
Conjunctive 1	esot jāgriež		Negative Infinitive		negriezt
Conjunctive 2	jāgriežot		Verbal noun		griešana

Synonyms

(of "to direct, to point"): vērst, virzīt

Derived terms

prefixed verbs:

other derived terms:

Related terms

gredzens

Etymology 2

From Proto-Baltic *griež-, from *greiž-, from Proto-Indo-European *greyǵ, from the zero grade of a stem *ger- (“to cut”) with an extra (y)ǵ. With a different extra element at the end, *ger- yielded Old Prussian gīrbin (“number”) (< “mark(s), cut(s), incision(s)”), Old East Slavic жеребей (žerebej), Russian жре́бий (žrébij, “lot; fate, destiny”) (< “cut, jagged, carved stick, wand”), Old English ceorfan, Old High German kerban (“to cut, to jag”). Cognates include Lithuanian gríežti.^[1]