Daudz

Daudz is a Latvian word functioning as a quantifier and an adverb, meaning “much,” “a lot,” or “many.” It is widely used in everyday speech and formal writing to express large quantity or degree.

As an adverb, daudz modifies verbs and adjectives. Examples: “Viņš daudz strādā” (He works a lot), “Viņa ir daudz labāka” (She is much better). As a determiner before nouns in the genitive plural, it indicates a large number of items: “Šeit ir daudz darba” (There is a lot of work here) and “Šeit ir daudz cilvēku” (There are many people here). In compound phrases, daudz can precede adjectives or participles to intensify meaning: “daudz lielāks,” “daudz skaļāks,” and similar constructions.

Grammatically, daudz often pairs with plural or uncountable nouns in the genitive case, reflecting Latvian’s system of noun declensions. It is also used in comparisons and set phrases such as “daudz vairāk” (much more) or “daudz kā” (many a).

Etymology traces Latvian daudz to the Baltic language family; cognates exist in related Baltic languages, such as Lithuanian daug, both reflecting a shared root meaning “much” or “many.” The word is a basic part of the lexicon for expressing quantity and intensity.

Related terms include daudzums (quantity), daudzums/daudzums, and phrases like ne daudz (not much) or daudzveidīgs (diverse, varied), which incorporate the same root to convey breadth or abundance.

In summary, daudz is a core Latvian quantifier/adverb used to denote large quantity or degree, adaptable in noun, adjective, and verb contexts.