dziesma

See also: dziesmā

Latvian

Dziesma

Etymology

From the same stem as dziedāt (q.v.), i.e., either from an earlier verb *dziet, or directly from a stem like *gied-, with an extra -s +‎ -ma. Cognates include Lithuanian giesmė̃ (“spiritual, solemn song”). A connection between dziesma and gaisma (“light”) has been suggested, given the similarity between their basic Proto-Indo-European stems (*gēy- “to sing, to call, to shout” and *gʰēy- “shiny, bright”) and the idea of saluting the dawn: an original verb *gēy-t(e)y may have meant both “to become light” and “to salute the light (by singing)” (cf. also gailis (“cock, rooster”), a word also possibly related to gaisma and dziesma).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [dziɛ̂sma]

• Audio:

  (file)

Noun

dziesma f (4th declension)

1. song (piece of vocal music with lyrics)

   solo dziesma ― solo song

   kora dziesma ― choir song

   masu dziesma ― mass song, hymn

   liriski romantiska dziesma ― lyric romantic song

   šūpļa dziesma, šūpuļdziesma ― lullaby (lit. cradle song)

   dziesmas teksts ― lyrics (lit. song text)

   dziesmas melodija ― song melody

   tautas dziesma ― folk song

   dziesmu krājums ― song collection

   dziesmu svētki ― song festival

   dziesmu grāmata ― song book, hymn book, hymnal

   dziesma bez vārdiem ― song without lyrics (instrumental music)

2. (of birds, some insects) song (melodious sounds produced by the male to find and attract females)

   klausīties lakstīgalas dziesmā ― to listen to the nightingale song

   gaiļa dziesma ― cockcrow (lit. rooster song)

   circeņa dziesma ― cricket song

3. (poetic) noise made by air, water, vibrating objects

   vēja dziesma ― the song of the wind

   kuļmašīna sāka dūkt, un tās gaudulīgā dziesma Silāres laukos neapklusa līdz pat pusdienlaikam ― the thresher began to hum, and its plaintive song didn't go silent in the fields of Silāre until noon

Declension

Declension of dziesma (4th declension)

	singular (vienskaitlis)	plural (daudzskaitlis)
nominative (nominatīvs)	dziesma	dziesmas
accusative (akuzatīvs)	dziesmu	dziesmas
genitive (ģenitīvs)	dziesmas	dziesmu
dative (datīvs)	dziesmai	dziesmām
instrumental (instrumentālis)	dziesmu	dziesmām
locative (lokatīvs)	dziesmā	dziesmās
vocative (vokatīvs)	dziesma	dziesmas

Related terms

• dziedājums
• dziedāt
• dziedātājs, dziedātāja
• dziedonis, dziedone