pēkšņs

Etymology

From the (historically older) adverbial form pēkšņi (“suddenly”), from an earlier variant *pēši (probably via *pēkši, *pēški), from an adjective *pēšs (“sudden”), from earlier *pēs-šas, from Proto-Baltic *pēs-tyos, from Proto-Indo-European *pēd-tyos, a form of *pēd-tis (“going on foot”), from the stem *pēd- (“foot”). The semantic evolution was: “(going) on foot” > “quickly, immediately” (by stressing the motion component) > “suddenly.” Cognates include Lithuanian pė́sčias (“going on foot”), Old Church Slavonic пѣшь (pěšĭ, “on foot”), Russian пеший (péšij, “pedestrian”)^[1]

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [pɛ̀ːkʃɲs]

Adjective

pēkšņs (definite pēkšņais, comparative pēkšņāks, superlative vispēkšņākais, adverb pēkšņi)

1. sudden, abrupt (that which arrives, happens unexpectedly, unforeseeably)

   pēkšņs uzbrukums ― sudden attack

   pēkšņa nāve ― sudden death

   pēkšņa trauksme ― sudden anxiety

   ar pēkšņu troksni kokā rodas plaisas ― with a sudden noise, cracks appeared on the tree

   viņa strauji piespieda abas delnas pie krūtīm, kā dara cilvēki pēkšņa izbīļa mirkļos ― she quickly pressed both palms to her chest, as do people in moments of sudden fright

   Lienai, jau pirmo peršu dziedot, nobira divas tik pēkšņas asaras, ka viņa pat nepaguva paķert priekšauta stūri ― Liena, already singing the first verses, shed two so sudden, unexpected tears that she did not even manage to grab the corner of her apron

References