[ˈsvɛt͡sːɛ]
CilmeThere are three main hypotheses on the origin of this word: (a) from the same source as sveķi (“resin”) (q.v.): Proto-Indo-European *sʷekʷ-os (“juice, resin”), whence Proto-Baltic *sʷek-as > *sveke, plural *sveki with a number of variants, among which svece; (b) from an earlier *zvece, cognate with Lithuanian žvãkė (“candle”), both from Proto-Baltic *žvak-, from Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰʷokʷ- (“to shine”); or (c) borrowed from Old East Slavic свѣча (svěča) (cf. Russian све́ча (svéča)), from Proto-Slavic *svěťa (but note that ě should yield ie or ē in Latvian, not a simple e, which weakens this hypothesis).
- declension-5, femininecandle (source of light)
“aizdegt sveci” — to light a candle
“sveču gaisma” — candlelight
“eglīšu sveces” — Christmas tree candles
- declension-5, femininespark plug (ignition device in a combustion engine)
“aizdedzes svece” — spark plug (lit. ignition candle)
“šoferis pārbaudīja motoram sveces” — the driver checked the engine plugs
- declension-5, feminineunit of luminous intensity
“starptautiskā svece” — international candle (= candela)
“dega viena vienīga piecdesmit sveču gaismas spuldzīte” — a single small 50-candela light bulb was burning
Formassvece(nominative, singular) · sveces(nominative, plural) · sveces(genitive, singular) · sveču(genitive, plural) · svecei(dative, singular) · svecēm(dative, plural) · sveci(accusative, singular) · sveces(accusative, plural) · sveci(instrumental, singular) · svecēm(instrumental, plural) · svecē(locative, singular) · svecēs(locative, plural) · svece(singular, vocative) · sveces(plural, vocative)
Avots: Wiktionary