# saimnieks
## Latvian
### Etymology

From saime (“family, household”) +‎ -nieks. Though it is an old compound (already attested in 17th-century sources), it was only introduced in the literary (standard) language in 1862 by J. Alunāns.

### Noun

saimnieks m (1st declension, feminine form: saimniece)
* farmer, landowner (the owner of a farm, especially a large one)
    lielie, bagātie, naudīgie saimnieki ― big, rich, moneyed farmers
    kalpi neiet apstaigāt Avotu laukus, apskatīties zirgus un ēkas, kā to dara ciemā atbraukušie saimnieki ― the servants (farm helpers) don't go around the fields to look at the horses and buildings, the way that the landowners do, when they arrive in the village
* owner or tenant, especially of a small business
    iebraucamās vietas saimnieks ― inn owner
    viesnīcas saimnieks ― hotel owner
    visi apkārtējie restorānu saimnieki zināja, ka pilsoņa Žana Gijo veikalā vienmēr svaiga prece ― all the surrounding restaurant owners knew that there always was fresh merchandise (= ingredients) in citizen Žans Gijo's shop
* landlord (owner of a building, house, apartment, etc.)
    mēs dzīvojām koka namiņā sētā... tas namiņš nebija mūsu, bet piederēja saimniekam ― we lived in a little wooden hut... that hut was not ours, it belonged to (our) landlord
    maza auguma vīrs... skaļi ķīvējas ar mājas saimnieku ― a man of short build... quarreled loudly with the landlord
* owner, master, boss (person who owns or has the right to use a certain space, room, place)
    kā saimnieks... es torīt atvēru sava kabineta durvis un turpat pie durvīm apstājos: redzēju, ka neesmu vairs saimnieks... uz galda augšpēdus gulēja vācu virsnieka cepure ― as the master (of that office) I opened that morning my office's door and immediately stopped at the door: I saw that I was no longer the master... a German officer's hat was lying upside down on the table
* owner, master (person who owns a pet)
    kaķis kas ir pamests... parasti vairs citam saimniekam neuzticas un kļūst par īstu, mežonīgu zvēru ― a cat that was abandoned... usually does not trust another owner and becomes a true wild beast
* owner (person who owns something, e.g., an object)
    vēl jau gan viņš tur šauteni savās rokās, bet Ferdinands saprot, ka saimnieks tai jau ir cits: tas, lielais vīrs ar zilganpelēkajām acīm ― though he is holding the gun in his hands, Ferdinands understands that its owner is another (person): that big man with the bluish-gray eyes
* master, boss, leader (person who runs, administers, manages, organizes something, making decisions about it)
    lietuviešu tauta kļuva par pilntiesīgu savas zemes saimnieku ― the Lithuanian people became the full master of their own land
    pēc staltās gaitas, formas tērpa un izturēšanās spriežot, par kuģa saimnieku pirmajā brīdī varēja noturēt kapteiņa pirmo palīgu ― judging by his stately gait, uniform and behavior, one could at first take the first mate for the ship's boss (= captain)
* host (person who entertains guests, visitors)
    saimnieks ar ciemiņu beidzot piesēdušies pie galda ― the host with (his) guest finally sat at the table
* (biology) host (an organism in which a parasite lives)
    katrai blusu sugai ir noteikts saimnieks ― every species of flea has a specific host
    Mazākās zaļganās dēles dzīvoja uz zivju ādas un pārtika no saimnieku asinīm ― the smaller greenish leeches lived on fish skin and fed from their host's blood

#### Antonyms

* (antonym(s) of “of "master"”): kalps
* (antonym(s) of “of "landlord"”): īrnieks

#### Derived terms

* saimniecība
* saimniekot

#### See also

* uzņēmējs

### References

* ↑ Karulis, Konstantīns (1992) “saime”, in Latviešu Etimoloģijas Vārdnīca‎ (in Latvian), Rīga: AVOTS, →ISBN