peldēt

From Proto-Baltic *peld-, from Proto-Indo-European *pel- (“to pour, to flow; to swim”) with an extra -d. The meaning, originally “to flow,” evolved into “to be in a (water) stream” and then “to swim.” Cognates include Lithuanian dialectal peldė́ti, Ancient Greek πλάδος (pládos, “moisture”), πλαδαρός (pladarós, “humid, watery, soft”), πλαδάω (pladáō, “to be watery, soft”).^[1]

• IPA^(key): [pɛ̄ldɛ̂ːt]

peldēt (intransitive, 3rd conjugation, present peldu, peldi, peld, past peldēju)

1. (of people, animals) to swim (to move in water by floating and moving one's limbs)

   peldēt uz muguras ― to swim backstroke (lit. on (one's) back)

   peldēt kraulā ― to swim crawl stroke

   peldēt zem ūdens ― to swim under water

   peldēt pa ezeru ― to swim in the lake

   peldēt pa straumi, pret straumi ― to swim with, against the current

   peldēt uz upes otru krastu ― to swim to the other side of the river

   suns labi peld ― the dog swims well

   dīķī peld pīles, gulbji ― ducks, swans swim in the pond

   viņš noskatījās Janča veiklībā, kas gluži kā zivs peldēja gan sāņus, gan guļus, gan augšpēdus ― he watched Jančs' agility, who swam smoothly as a fish, on his side, lying down, and upside down

   zivtiņa peld, līkumus liekdama,... zibinādama savus sudrabainos sānus, strauji vērsdamas ― the little fish swam, turning turns... flashing its silvery sides, quickly turning around

2. (of objects; of ships, boats, etc.) to float; to sail (to move in water)

   ezerā peld ledus gabali ― pieces of ice are floating in the lake

   ūdenī peldēja makšķeres pludiņš ― the fishing bobber was floating in the water

   pa upi peld liellaivas ― the barges are sailing on the river

   blakus laivai peldēja samircis priedes mizas gabals ― near the boat, a broken piece of pine tree bark

   laiva peldēja nevis tur, kur es gribēju, uz augšu, saules sudrabā, bet slīdēja pa straumi lēni lejup ― the boat was sailing not where I wanted, upstream, to(ward) the sun's silver; instead, it slid slowly downstream

3. to float, to hover (to be in a state of equilibrium in a liquid or in a gas)

   pilnīgi iegrimis peldošs ķermenis parasti vienmēr atrodas stabilā līdzsvarā ― a fully immersed floating body is always in stable equilibrium

   kosmonauts pastāstīja, ka tad, kad iestājies bezsvara stāvoklis, viņš juties ļoti labi... kājas un rokas nekā nesver, priekšmeti peld pa kabīni ― the astronaut said that he felt very well when weightlessness started... (his) legs and feet had no weight, objects floated through the cabin

4. to float (to be completely covered by a liquid)

   zupā peld trekni aitas gaļas gabali ― fatty pieces of sheep meat are floating in the soup

   pankūkām pilnīgi jāpeld taukos; tas jācep uz mērenas uguns, lai labi izceptos un neapdegtu ― the pancakes must completely float in the fat; they must be fried on low heat, so that they are well fried and don't burn

5. (of clouds, fog, smoke, etc.) to float, to hover (to move slowly in the sky)

   zemu peldēja padebeši ― the clouds were hovering low

   mākonis peldēja debess augstākā vietā, lēni noapaļodams savas robainās malas ― the cloud was floating in the highest place of the sky, slowly smoothing its jagged edge

   iedegās ugunskurs... zilganas dūmu strēles peldēja pāri ievu krūmiem ― the fire started burning... bluish smoke floated, hovered over the street bushes

6. (of birds, flying objects, celestial bodies, etc.) to hover, to fly or move slowly in the sky

   divas vārnas nolaižas lejāk un smagi peld sarkanumā virs meža galiem ― two crows flew down and heavily hover in the redness above the tops of the forest trees

   ugunīgi kvēlā vasaras saule peldēja zilajā debesu bezgalībā ― the fiery summer sun was floating in the blue infinity of the sky

   no debesim nesteidzīgā lidojumā peldēja lielas sniega pārslas ― a big snow flake was floating in a leisurely flight (down) from the sky

7. (figuratively) to move around, as if swimming

   plašajā druvā gāzelēdamies peldēja divas pļaujmašīnas ― two mowers were floating/swimming, wobbling in the wide cornfield

   viņa mierīgi peld pa trotuarā vidu, pie krūtīm piespiedusi silpureņu nastiņu ― she quietly swam on the sidewalk, pressing her little bunch of pasque flowers to her chest

   beidzot mums kalpone tomēr bija mājā... kundze drūma kā mākonis peldēja pa istabām un paslepus novēroja jauno ― we finally had a maid in the house... the gloomy (old) lady hovered around like a cloud over the rooms and secretely satched the new one (= maid)

8. (of objects) to be, to be located (e.g., in the fog, in smoke, in the darkness, as if floating)

   kad atguva apziņu, viss apkārt ap skolas ēku jau peldēja liesmās un gaiss bija kā svelme ― when he regained consciousness, everything around in the school building was swimming in flames and the air was aglow

   kakti jau grima pilnīgā tumsā, tikai ap galdu vēl peldēja trīsošs staru loks ― the corners (of the room) were already immersed in full darkness, only around the table there still floated a trembling circle of light

9. (colloquial, of sounds) to keep changing volume unexpectedly, due to a defect in the recording equipment

   skaņa peld ― the sound is floating, fluctuating (= going up and down)

prefixed verbs:

other derived terms:

• pelde
• peldētājs, peldētāja
• peldētava
• peldēties

• peldu, peldus