lietus

Etymology

From the same stem as Latvian liet (“to pour”) and līt (“to flow, to stream, to rain”) (q.v.), made into a masculine third declension noun (ending -us). Cognates include Lithuanian lietùs, lytùs.^[1]

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [liɛ̂tus]

Noun

lietus m (3rd declension)

1. rain, shower; rainwater

   pavasara lietus ― spring rain, shower

   garie rudens lietus ― long autumn rain

   spēcīgs lietus ― heavy rain

   īslaicīgs lietus ― short-term rain

   lietus bungo pa jumtu ― the rain is drumming on the roof

   lietus līst ― it (lit. rain) is raining

   lietus līņā, smidzina ― it (lit. rain) is drizzling

   lietus ūdens ― rainwater

   lietus lāses ― raindrops

   lietus pil no jumta ― the rain(water) is dripping from the roof

   lietus mākoņi ― rain clouds

   lietus mētelis, lietusmētelis ― rain coat

   caur pelēcīgo lietus plīvuru parādās kravas automobilis ― through the grayish veil of rain a truck (lit. cargo automobile) appeared

   viņi bija lietū ieecējuši auzas ― they had began to harrow the oats in the rain (= while it was raining)

2. (in the plural) rains, rainy period

   pēc lielajiem lietiem sākās labības pļauja ― after the big rains began the cereal harvest

3. (figuratively) rain (a rain-like group of small moving objects; a large number of similar things)

   zvaigžņu lietus ― star rain (= meteor shower)

   dzirksteļu lietus ― spark rain (= many sparks)

   ložu lietus ― bullet rain (e.g., from a machine gun)

   priedēs iespurdz vējš, un uz ceļa nolīst ziedputekšņu lietus ― the wind began to flutter in the pine trees, and a rain of pollen fell (lit. rained) on the road

References

Etymology

From Proto-Indo-European *ley-, *lī- (“to pour, to flow, to drip”).

Pronunciation 1

• IPA^(key): [ljɛˈtʊs]

Pronunciation 2

• IPA^(key): [ˈlijɛtʊs]