aicināt

The majority view is that aicināt was originally the causative ( +‎ -ināt) form of a no longer existing Proto-Baltic verb stem *aik- (with k palatalized to c), from Proto-Indo-European *h₁oy-, a variant of *h₁ey- (“to go”) (cf. iet) with an extra formative -k. The ei~ai variation, though infrequent, is not unheard of (cf. Lithuanian eiklùs, dialectal aiklùs “fast goer, runner”, or Latvian iet “to go,” from earlier *eiti, and aidinieks (“palfrey”))). The original meaning was thus “to make go/come,” hence “to invite.” A minority theory derives aicināt from the interjection ai in the sense of surprise and pleasure (at seeing one's guests).^[1]

• IPA^(key): [aîtsinâːt]

• Audio:

  (file)

• IPA^(key): [āītsinâːt]

• Audio:

  (file)

aicināt

1. second-person plural present indicative of aicināt

aicināt (transitive, 3rd conjugation, present aicinu, aicini, aicina, past aicināju)

1. to invite (to call, to urge to come, e.g. in order to participate in something)

   aicināt ciemā ― to invite to a visit

   ar rokas mājienu aicināt pie sevis ― to invite with a wave of one's hand

   aicināt viesus pie galda ― to invite the guests to the table

   aicināt palīgā ― to call for help

   aicināt atpūsties ― to invite to rest

   aicināt uz sapulci ― to invite to a meeting

   aicināt uz cīņu ― to invite, to call to a fight

   aicināt būt modriem ― to invite, to call to be vigilant

   “ienāciet, lūdzu!” aicina Dagmāra viešņu ― “come in, please,” Dagmara invites (her) visitor

• (of "to ask, request"): lūgt
• (of "to call"): saukt

prefixed verbs:

other derived terms:

• aicinājums