Gothic

Romanization

krusts

1. Romanization of 𐌺𐍂𐌿𐍃𐍄𐍃

Latvian

Mirt pie krusta (1)

Kapa krusts (3)

Dzelzs krusts (4)

Maltas krusts (5)

Krusta astotnieks (7)

Alternative forms

• (dialectal form) krists

Etymology

A borrowing from Old East Slavic крьстъ ‎(krĭstŭ) (compare Russian крест ‎(krest)) (from Old High German Christ ‎(“Christ”)), which regularly yielded Latvian dialectal krists. The u of the standard Latvian form krusts, however, is not obviously explainable. There are several theories: contamination of Latin crux ‎(“cross”) and Christus (words that Latvians would often hear in Latin in church), influence of Old Belarusian *кръстъ ‎(krŭstŭ), an earlier borrowing from Old Norse kross (with an open o which old Baltic dialects would have borrowed as u); or perhaps no borrowing (krusts might come from an old Proto-Indo-European word cognate with Latin crux).^[1]

Noun

krusts m (1st declension)

1. (historical, Ancient Rome) cross (wooden post with attached beam used to execute criminals by crucifixion)

   mirt pie krusta‎ ― to die on the cross

   nāve pie krusta‎ ― death on the cross

2. (figuratively) suffering, hardship; nuisance (by implicit comparison with the crucifixion)

   katram savs krusts jānes‎ ― each has his own cross to bear

   nedod dievs kādu krustu!‎ ― may god not give such hardship (lit. cross)

3. (Christianity) cross (main symbol of the Christian religion, in the shape of the instrument used to execute Jesus)

   koka, marmora, zelta krusts‎ ― wooden, marmor, golden cross

   kapa krusts‎ ― grave cross

   apzīmēt ar krustu, ar krusta zīmi‎ ― to make the sign of the cross

   (pār)mest, (aiz)mest krustu‎ ― to make (lit. throw) the sign of the cross

4. cross ((non-religious) decoration in the shape of a cross)

   esmu apbalvots ar dzelzs krustu un citiem ordeņiem‎ ― I was awarded the iron cross and other medals

5. cross (symbol, ornament or decorative element, consisting of at least two lines that cross)

   ķeltu krusts‎ ― the Celtic cross

   Maltas krusts‎ ― the Maltese cross

   ugunskrusts, kāškrusts‎ ― swastika (lit. fire cross, hook(ed) cross)

6. cross (objects, elements that cross each other)

   krusta velve‎ ― groin (lit. cross) vault

7. (card games) clubs (one of the four suits of playing cards, marked with the symbol ♣)

   krusta astotnieks‎ ― eight of clubs

Declension

Derived terms

• kāškrusts, kāšu krusts
• ugunskrusts

Related terms

• krustot

See also

Suits in Latvian · sugas (see also: kārts, spēļu kārts) (layout · text)
sirdis	kāravi	pīķi	krusti

References

1. ↑ Karulis, Konstantīns (1992), “krusts”, in Latviešu Etimoloģijas Vārdnīca (in Latvian), Rīga: AVOTS, ISBN 9984-700-12-7