# grāmata
## Latvian
### Etymology

Borrowed from Old East Slavic грамота (gramota, “alphabet, writing; ability to read and write; document”) (cf. Russian гра́мота (grámota, “ability to read and write; official document”), itself a borrowing from Ancient Greek γράμματα (grámmata, “written symbols, letters”). This word was borrowed into Latvian before the 13th century, referring, at first, to written religious manuscripts or texts of religious use, and only later — from the 16th century on (first attestations in dictionaries) — to printed texts. Up until the 1870s, grāmata could also refer to smaller written texts or letters; by the end of the 19th century, it had been restricted to books. Compare obsolete Lithuanian grõmata (“letter; document”).

### Pronunciation

* IPA: [ɡɾāːmata]
* Audio:(file)

### Noun

grāmata f (4th declension)
* book (a printed and bound publication with more than 48 pages)
    daiļliteratūras grāmata ― fiction book
    skolas grāmata ― school book
    mācību grāmata ― textbook
    bērnu grāmata ― children's book
    bilžu grāmata ― picture book
    pasaku grāmata ― book of fairy tales
    grāmatu krājums ― book collection
    grāmatu veikals ― book shop
    grāmatu izstāde ― book exposition, book fair
    grāmatu plaukts, grāmatplaukts ― bookshelf
    lasīt grāmatu ― to read a book
    iecerēt, rakstīt grāmatu ― to plan, to write a book
    grāmatu gudrība ― book wisdom (knowledge gained from books)
    telefona grāmata ― telephone book
* book (one of the parts in which a larger work, usually a novel, is divided)
    romāna pirmā grāmata ― the first book (= part) of the novel
* book, register (series of usually blank pages bound or stapled together, in which something important is to be written)
    sūdzību un ierosinājumu grāmata ― complaints and suggestions book
    parakstīties viesu grāmatā ― to sign the guestbook
    atklājās viņa piezīmju grāmata, kurā viņš bija ierakstījis savas slepenākās domas, baidīdamies tās izrunāt ― his note book was found, in which he had written his most secret thoughts, fearing to say them out loud
    parasta mājas grāmata... uz vāka uz raksts “Liepu ielā 2”; iekšējās lapās ziņas par iemītniekiem ― a normal house book (= register)... on the cover (the words) “2 Liepa street;” the pages inside (have) information on the occupants
* (dated sense) ability to read and write
    pēc tam viņš bija mācījis grāmatu citiem ciema bērniem ― after that he had taught to read (lit. taught the book) to other village children
    viņi tikai pajautā: “vai grāmatu jau proti?”, “vai tev drīz nebūs jāsāk staigāt skolā?” ― they only asked: “can you read (lit. do you know reading)?”, “won't you soon have to start going to school?”
* (dated sense) letter, written message
    augsti un bagāti kungi no pilsētas rakstot mērnieka cienīgam tēvam grāmatas, lūgdami, lai viņus arī pielaižot pie tās balles ― high and wealthy city gentlemen, they say, wrote letters to the honorable father of the surveyor, praying that he would let them to the ball

#### Synonyms

* (of "ability to read"): lasīšana
* (of "letter, written message"): vēstule

#### Derived terms

* dienasgrāmata
* grāmatiņa
* grāmatnīca
* grāmatnieks, grāmatniece, grāmatniecība

#### See also

* lappuse
* vāks

### References

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