aizliegt

From aiz- +‎ liegt. Its original meaning was probably “to bend, to turn (away)” (possibly also influenced by liekt, which has these meanings), from which the current meaning “to prohibit, to forbid” could have evolved metaphorically, either via “turn (away)” > “not allow access (to something)” > “to prohibit (access to something)” > “to prohibit (in general),” or via “to bend (something)” > “to prevent access (by bending something in front of it)” (cf. aizliegt ceļu “to restrict the way,” perhaps originally “to bend (a tree) so that it restricts access to the way”) > “to prohibit.”^[1]

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aizliegt (transitive, 1st conjugation, present aizliedzu, aizliedz, aizliedz, past aizliedzu)

1. to prohibit, to forbid (to not allow something to happen, to be done)

   aizliegt smēķēt darba telpās ― to prohibit smoking at work

   aizliegt zvejot nārsta laikā ― to prohibit fishing during the spawning season

   aizliegts ar likumu ― prohibited by law

   dabas aizsardzības likums aizliedz vākt jebkuru ūdensputnu olas ― the environment protection laws prohibits the collection of any waterfowl eggs

2. to prohibit (to not allow access to, or the use or production of, something)

   aizliegt kodolieročus ― to prohibit nuclear weapons

   aizliegtā literatūra ― prohibited literature

   aizliegts auglis ― forbidden fruit

   Latvijas ūdeņos ķert zivis ir atļauts... izņemot aizliegtās zonas ― it is permitted to catch fish in Latvian waters... except (in) the restricted areas

3. (dated sense) reject, refuse

   tu aplamnieks, kas aizliedz savu tēviju ― you (are) an ignorant who rejects his own fatherland

   cerams, ka Reihvalda jaunkundze turpmāk neaizliedz savu tēvu ― Miss Reihvalda will hopefully no longer reject her father