Latvian

Kalpi (1)

Pīķa kalps (3)

Noun

kalps m (1st declension, feminine form: kalpone)

1. farmhand, farm laborer, servant (a paid worker in a farm)

   strādāt par kalpu‎ ― to work as a farmhand

   muižas kalpi‎ ― the mannor's laborers

   pieņemt, atlaist, algot kalpus‎ ― to accept, to dismiss, to hire servants

   kalpu klēts‎ ― the servants' barn (= house)

   kalpa ļaudis‎ ― farm workers (lit. farmhand people)

   kāds kungs, tāds kalps‎ ― like lord, like servant (folk saying)

   kalpi bija laukstrādnieki, kas salīguši strādāt pie saimniekiem par algu (graudā, vēlāk arī daļēji naudā)‎ ― farmhands were rural workers who were hired to work for a farmer for wages (paid in grain, later also partially in money)

2. (figuratively) servant (a person who works for some interest or cause)

   deputāts ir tautas kalps‎ ― a congressman is a servant of the people

   dieva kalps‎ ― a servant of god (e.g., a priest)

   tumsas kalpi‎ ― servants of darkness

3. (card games) jack, knave (the card between 10 and queen, with the image of a young man)

   pīķa kalps‎ ― the jack of spades

   kapteinis sāka dalīt kārtis, un Vilks izklaidīgi ņēma tās pretī... tur bija viens kalps un trīs dāmas‎ ― the captain began to deal the cards, and Vilks distractedly took them... there were one jack and three queens

Declension

Related terms

• kalpot

References

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