blāvs

Latvian

From Proto-Baltic *blāwas, from Proto-Indo-European *bʰlew-, *bʰlēw-, *bʰlāw-, from the zero grade of *bʰel- (“shiny, white”) (whence also Latvian balts (“white”)) with an extra -w. Some researchers consider blāvs a borrowing from Middle Low German blā, blāw (and likewise Lithuanian blãvas a borrowing from Latvian). Cognates include Lithuanian blãvas (“pale”), blausùs (“cloudy; unclear, dim; gloomy; sleepy”), Old High German blāo (“blue; yellow”), German blau (“blue”), Latin flāvus (“golden, yellow; flaxen; blonde”).^[1]

blāvs (definite blāvais, comparative blāvāks, superlative visblāvākais, adverb blāvi)

(of light, light sources) dim, faint, wan (weak; proudicing only dim, faint light)
blāva spuldze ― dim (light) bulb

blāvs mēness ― dim moon

blāva gaisma ― dim light

blāvajā mēness gaismā no durvīm uz manu pusi kūņojās kaut kas garš un balts ― in the dim moonlight something long and white was dragging itself from the door to my side
dull (not transparent, not clear)
blāva stikla vāze ― dull, translucid glass vase

aiz blāvās, putekļu klātās rūts pazibēja smaidīga meitenes seja ― behind the dull, dust-covered (window) pane flashed a smiling girl's face
dull, lackluster (not shiny, not emitting or reflecting (much) light; pale, whitish)
blāvās krāsas ― pale colors

Es ieskatos Harijam acīs; bet šodien tās ir blāvas ― I look into Harijs' eyes; but today they are dull

(antonym(s) of “of "dim, faint"”): gaišs, spīdīgs, spilgts, spožs, spulgs
(antonym(s) of “of "dull, not clear"”): dzidrs, skaidrs, caurredzams, caurspīdīgs
(antonym(s) of “of "dull, not shiny"”): spodrs

^ Karulis, Konstantīns (1992) “blāvs”, in Latviešu Etimoloģijas Vārdnīca‎^[1] (in Latvian), Rīga: AVOTS, →ISBN