skaits

Skaits is a Latvian noun meaning the quantity or number of items in a set or measurement. It is used to express how many, or the total count, in both everyday language and formal texts. For example, "Cilvēku skaits pieauga" means the number of people increased, and phrases like "kopējais skaits" refer to the total. The term emphasizes the measurement result rather than the abstract idea of a number itself.

The word derives from the verb skaitīt, "to count." Related forms include skaitlis, meaning a numeral or number, and skaitīšana, the act of counting. In usage, skaits often conveys the quantity obtained by counting, rather than the specific numeral that denotes that quantity.

In mathematical and data contexts, skaits denotes a count or frequency—the number of occurrences of a given value or category in a data set. It is used when discussing quantities derived from counting, such as totals and distributions, rather than the exact numerical symbols used to represent those quantities.

Usage notes and related terms: skaits appears in phrases describing quantities or populations, such as "pateikt skaitu" (give the count) or "cilvēku skaits" (the number of people). It is closely related to, but distinct from, skaitlis, which refers to a numeral or digit itself. See also Latvian language and numerals for broader context.