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Definition 2024
jau
jau
Catalan
Verb
jau
- third-person singular present indicative form of jaure
- second-person singular imperative form of jaure
Gothic
Romanization
jau
- Romanization of 𐌾𐌰𐌿
Latvian
Etymology
From Proto-Baltic *jau, from Proto-Indo-European *you-, from the stem *i- (“that; he”) (whence also Latvian it, q.v.). Cognates include Lithuanian jaũ (“already”), Old Prussian iau (“ever”), Old Church Slavonic уже (uže), юже (juže), Russian уже́ (užé, “already”), Gothic 𐌾𐌿 (ju, “already”), Old High German ju (“already”).[1]
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): [jàw]
Adverb
jau
- used to indicate that an action or event has started, happened before the time of speaking; already
- saule jau aust ― the sun is already up
- viņš jau atnāca ― he has already arrived
- es šo grāmatu jau esmu lasījis ― I have already read this book
- viņi jau bija izbraukuši no pilsētas, kad tēvocis atkal ierunājās ― they had already left the city when (their) uncle spoke again
- used to indicate that an action or event is happening before its due time, earlier than expected or planned; already
- plāns jānodod jau šodien ― the plan must be carried out already today
- jau rīt viņš aizceļos ― he will set off tomorrow already
- jau pēc stundas ― already in an hour (earlier than expected)
Particle
jau
- used to reinforce the meaning of a word, phrase or sentence; really, indeed
- žēl jau bija, ka tā iznāca ― it is really a pity that it came out like that
- tas jau tāpat saprotams ― that is really self-evident
- tā jau ir ― it is indeed so
- tā jau viņš neteica ― that he didn't say
- labi jau tas nebija ― good that was not
- tā jau nu ir ― that is true... (said when reluctantly agreeing)
- (usually with kā) used to reinforce what is affirmed in a sentence, to give it more credibility, more generality
- viņš bija naivs, kā jau bērns ― he was naive, like a child
- bija jautri, kā jau viesībās ― it was fun, like in a party
- gandrīz katru dienu līst, kā jau rudenī ― almost every day it rains, as if it were autumn
References
- ↑ Karulis, Konstantīns (1992), “jau”, in Latviešu Etimoloģijas Vārdnīca (in Latvian), Rīga: AVOTS, ISBN 9984-700-12-7
Lithuanian
Etymology
Adverb
jaũ [2]
Antonyms
References
- 1 2 3 Derksen, Rick (2008) Etymological Dictionary of the Slavic Inherited Lexicon (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 4), Leiden, Boston: Brill, ISBN 978 90 04 15504 6, page 207.
- 1 2 “jau” in Juozas Balčikonis [et al.] (1954), Dabartinės lietuvių kalbos žodynas. Vilnius: Valstybinė politinės ir mokslinės literatūros leidykla.
Romansch
Alternative forms
Etymology
From Vulgar Latin *eo, from Latin ego, from Proto-Indo-European *éǵh₂.
Pronoun
jau