smaka
From Wiktionary, the free dictionary
See also: smakā
Alternative forms
- (dialectal) smaks
Etymology
Traditionally considered borrowed from Middle Low German smak (“taste; smell”) or Saterland Frisian smaka or Middle Dutch smake, which is supported by its use in 17th-century texts to mean not only “smell,” but also “taste.” This may however have been a purely written usage, given the absence at the time of a term for “taste;” other writings of the period suggest that the “taste” meaning was rare or unattested among speakers. If this is so, the word might actually not be a borrowing, but an indigenous formation, from the stem of the verb smakt (“to stifle; to choke; to gasp”) (q.v.), made into a 4th-declension feminine noun. Since ancient Baltic and Iranian tribes were neighbors for some time, there may also be influence from Iranian languages (cf. Ossetian смаг (smag, “odor”). Originally, smaka had a broader meaning, “smell, odor” (in general); in the 19th century, the phrase laba smaka “good odor” still occurred. Later on it switched senses with smarža (which used to mean “bad smell” but is now neutral; q.v.).[1]
Pronunciation
Noun
smaka m
smaka f (4th declension)
- (usually bad) smell, stink, stench
- nepatīkama, kodīga smaka ― unpleasant, pungent smell
- pēlējuma, sēra, sviedru smaka ― mold, sulphur, sweat smell
- salda, skāba smaka ― sweet, sour smell
- nejust nekādu smaku ― to not feel any smell
- sajust dūmu samku ― to feel the smell of smoke
- izvēdināt piedeguma smaku ― to disperse the burned smell (by ventilating the room)
- pretīga gruzduma smaka tā piesātinājusi visu apkārtni, ka grūti bija elpot ― the disgusting stench of smoke had saturated the whole neighborhood, so that it was hard to breathe
Declension
Declension of smaka (4th declension)
Synonyms
Related terms
- smakot
References
- Karulis, Konstantīns (1992) “smaka”, in Latviešu Etimoloģijas Vārdnīca (in Latvian), Rīga: AVOTS, →ISBN
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