The Words labība and padoms in Texts of the 16th–17th Century and in the Historical Dictionary of Latvian

Abstract

In the article, the lexemes labība and padoms and their use in the 16^th and 17^th century Latvian written sources is discussed. Although in the 17^th century the word labība in Latvian already has the settled concrete meaning ‘corn, grain’ (and in such cases potential derivatives are not formed), in some early written sources the word is used also with the meaning ‘goods, property’. Such a use appears in the works of Georg Mancelius in a particular context – in the 53^rd verse of the 1^st chapter of the Gospel of Luke. Supposedly, G. Mancelius had taken over the word labība in this meaning from an earlier text, possibly from the Vidzeme Lutheran Hymnal of 1615. It is not known who wrote the word labība in such a meaning, but it is possible that such a use was influenced by the German words Güter, Gütern (cf. Low German güdern, German Gut ‘property’, gut ‘good’, Gute ‘the good’) in the corresponding text. In the Bible translation of Ernst Glück and in other sources from the end of the 17^th century in the discussed text of the Gospel of Luke the word labums ‘the good’, in modern translations – labumi ‘goods, treats’ is used. However, such a use of the word labība ‘goods’ is fragmentary; in the 17^th century it is mostly used in the meaning ‘corn, grain’ or in wider meaning ‘food, harvest, bread’.

Whereas in sources from the end of the 16^th century in the mentioned verse of the Gospel of Luke the word padoms is used, in early Latvian writings it has several meanings which are used concurrently in the texts. The word padoms has the meanings ‘property, riches, goods’, ‘advice on how to act’ (which is the most common meaning nowadays), as well as ‘purpose, intention; decision, judgement’ and ‘mind, reason, wisdom’. The very first use of this word is found in the so-called Lord’s Prayer of Simon Grunau from 1520. In this text, the meaning of the word padoms could be interpreted as ‘purpose, intention’. Supposedly, the use of the word padoms in the early Latvian texts concurrently in several meanings was influenced by the German word Rat ‘advice’, which in early religious texts in German is also used in several other meanings.