dibens

From Old Latvian *dubnys, by metathesis becoming *dubyns, from which an older dialectal variant and the present Latgalian dybyns developed (Compare Latgalian sapyns and sapnis for reference). These forms further developed into the regional Latvian dubens and standard Latvian dibens respectively.

From Proto-Balto-Slavic *dubna, from Proto-Indo-European *dʰubʰnóm. Cognate to Latgalian dybyns (“bottom”) Old Prussian dubnas (“bottom”), Lithuanian dugnas (“bottom”).

• IPA^(key): [ˈdibæns]

• Audio:

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dibens m (1st declension)

1. bottom, lower part, base

   pudeles dibens ― bottom of the bottle

   laivas dibens ― bottom of the boat

   notīrīt katla dibenu ― to clean the bottom of the boiler

2. bottom (lower internal part, especially of a container, or its contents)

   maisa dibenā vēl ir milti ― there is still flour at the bottom of the sack

   nogrimt dibenā ― to sink to the bottom

   izdzert glāzi līdz dibenam ― to drink a glass to the bottom

3. bottom, lower part (of bodies of water, holes, etc.)

   jūras, upes dibens ― the bottom of the sea, of the river

   dīķī ūdens sasalis līdz dibenam ― the water in the pond froze to the bottom

4. back (the deepest or farthest part of a space, a room, etc.)

   istabas dibens ― the back of the room

   skatuves dibens ― the back of the stage, backstage

5. (anatomy) behind, bottom (rear lower part of the human body)

   uzdot bērnam pa dibenu ― to hit, spank a child on his behind

• pēcpuse (vulgar)

• Pokorny, Julius (1959), “267-268”, in Indogermanisches etymologisches Wörterbuch [Indo-European Etymological Dictionary] (in German), volume 1, Bern, München: Francke Verlag, pages 267-268