zīst

See also: zist

Latvian

The traditional approach derives this word from an earlier *žinsti, from Proto-Baltic *žind-ti, from *žind-, from the reduced form *ǵendʰ, *ǵ(e)ndʰ- of Proto-Indo-European *ǵenədʰ- (“jaw, chin”), whence also Latvian zods (“chin”), Lithuanian žándas (“chin, jaw, cheek”). In this case, the original meaning would have been related to “cheek, jaw,” from which “to suckle.” A more recent theory suggests a connection between zīst and Ancient Greek νεογιλλός (neogillós, “newborn; young, new”) (< *neo-gid-los), both presumably from Proto-Indo-European *ǵeid- (“to suckle”). In either case, cognates include Lithuanian žįsti.^[1]

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zīst (transitive or intransitive, 1st conjugation, present zīžu, zīd, zīž, past zīdu)

to suck, to suckle (to press a female nipple with one's lips and tongue, so that it produces milk; to drink the milk so produced)
zīst māti ― to suckle (one's) mother (i.e., to suckle milk from one's mother's breast)

bērns zīž krūti ― the child suckles the breast

kaķēns vēl nezīž ― the kitten doesn't suckle yet

jēri metas zīst ― the lambs rushed to suckle

trīs mazi ezēni zīda māti, sagulušies rindā kā sivēni ― three little hedgehogs suckled (their) mother, lying in a row like piglets
to suck, to suckle (to take something into one's mouth and make sucking movements)
zīst ķepu, pirkstu ― to suck(le) (one's) paw, finger

bērni visbiežāk zīž pirkstus pirms iemigšanas un pēc pamošanās ― children most often suck (their) fingers before sleep or after waking up
(colloquial) to smoke (a pipe, a cigarette, etc.) slowly
pēdējo smēķa galiņu zīzdams, Klucis noskatīja daudz neveiklāko Modri ― sucking the last tip of (his) cigarette, Klucis looked at the much clumsier Modris

conjugation of zīst

	INDICATIVE (īstenības izteiksme)				IMPERATIVE (pavēles izteiksme)
		Present (tagadne)	Past (pagātne)	Future (nākotne)	IMPERATIVE (pavēles izteiksme)
1st pers. sg.	es	zīžu	zīdu	zīdīšu	—
2nd pers. sg.	tu	zīd	zīdi	zīdīsi	zīd
3rd pers. sg.	viņš, viņa	zīž	zīda	zīdīs	lai zīž
1st pers. pl.	mēs	zīžam	zīdām	zīdīsim	zīdīsim
2nd pers. pl.	jūs	zīžat	zīdāt	zīdīsiet, zīdīsit	zīdiet
3rd pers. pl.	viņi, viņas	zīž	zīda	zīdīs	lai zīž

RENARRATIVE (atstāstījuma izteiksme)			PARTICIPLES (divdabji)
Present	zīžot		Present Active 1 (Adj.)		zīdošs
Past	esot zīdis		Present Active 2 (Adv.)		zīzdams
Future	zīdīšot		Present Active 3 (Adv.)		zīžot
Imperative	lai zīžot		Present Active 4 (Obj.)		zīžam
CONDITIONAL (vēlējuma izteiksme)			Past Active		zīdis
Present	zīstu		Present Passive		zīžams
Past	būtu zīdis		Past Passive		zīsts
DEBITIVE (vajadzības izteiksme)			NOMINAL FORMS
Indicative	(būt) jāzīž		Infinitive (nenoteiksme)		zīst
Conjunctive 1	esot jāzīž		Negative Infinitive		nezīst
Conjunctive 2	jāzīžot		Verbal noun		zīšana

prefixed verbs:

zīst

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