Etymology

Derived from an obsolete verb tekt ‎(“to rush, to run, to flow”), from Proto-Indo-European *tekʷ- ‎(“to run, to flow”), whence also tecēt ‎(“to flow”); the meaning changed from “moving quickly” to “working hard.” The e → a change parallels tecēt, taka ‎(“path”). The t → č change (palatalization) is not regular in Latvian, which suggests either an expressive or affective feature (compare aiča, meiča, from aita ‎(“sheep”), meita ‎(“girl, daughter”)), or the former existence of parallel forms with a and e: *tekls + *takls → *tʲakls; compare dialectal čekls ([tʃækls]). Note that the same stem also palatalized in Tocharian cake (“river”), Avestan 𐬙𐬀𐬐 ‎(tak, “stream, torrent”); since both the ancient Balts and the Tocharians were in direct contact with Northern Iranian tribes, this palatalization may be the result of Iranian influence. Cognates include Sanskrit तकुः ‎(tákuḥ, “hurried, quick, mobile”), तक्वः ‎(takváḥ, “fast, quick”) (compare तक्ति ‎(takti, “to hurry”), Scythian taka ‎([tʲaka], “quick, strong”), Ossetian тӕх ‎(tæx, “quick stream, torrent; quick, fast, turbulent; dedicated”), Ancient Greek ταχύς ‎(takhús, “swift, quick, agile”).^[1]

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [tʃakls]