kvailas
Lithuanian
[edit]Etymology
[edit]Probably from an unattested *kvaiklas (with dissimilation of the -kl- to -l-), itself from *kvaitla, a nominal formation from the same root as kvai̇̃sti (“to become stunned, dazed”), of unknown origin.[1] The closest phonetic match, Proto-Indo-European *kʷey- (in either the "perceive, revere" or "to gather, layer" senses), is semantically distant.
According to Fraenkel, in addition to kvai̇̃sti, related to kvai̇̃kti (“to become stunned, dazed”), kváikė (“stupid woman, stupid thing”), kvaitulỹs (“dizziness”), kvai̇̃šas, kvaišà (“stupid person”), kvai̇̃šti (“to become stupid, stunned, dazed”), kváišinti (“to fool, tease, make dizzy”), kvaitýtis (“to behave foolishly”).[2]
According to Būga (cited by Fraenkel), in ablaut with kuitė́ti (“to perish, faint”).
Pronunciation
[edit]Adjective
[edit]kvai̇̃las m (feminine kvailà) stress pattern 4[3]
Declension
[edit]Related terms
[edit]- (noun, fool): kvailys, kvaila
- (noun, foolishness): kvailumas, kvailybė, kvailystė
- (verb): kvailioti (“be foolish; fool around”), kvailėti (“become foolish”), kvailinti (“fool, dupe; call a fool”)
- (adverb): kvailai (“foolishly”), kvailyn (“becoming more foolish”)
- (adjective): kvailokas (“doltish”), puskvailis (“half-foolish”), apykvailis (“rather foolish”), pokvailis (“somewhat foolish”), priekvailis (“a little foolish”)
References
[edit]- ^ Smoczyński, Wojciech (2007) “kvai̇̃las”, in Słownik etymologiczny języka litewskiego[1] (in Polish), Vilnius: Uniwersytet Wileński, page 330
- ^ Fraenkel, Ernst (1955, 1962–1965) “kvaĩkti”, in Litauisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, volume I, Heidelberg-Göttingen: Carl Winter and Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, page 324
- ^ “kvailas”, in Lietuvių kalbos žodynas [Dictionary of the Lithuanian language], lkz.lt, 1941–2025