bērns

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See also: Berns

Latvian[edit]

 bērns on Latvian Wikipedia
Bērni

Etymology[edit]

From an earlier *berns, with lengthening ([èɾ] > [æ̀ːɾ]), from Proto-Baltic *bernas, from Proto-Indo-European *bʰer- with an extra -no-s. The meaning evolved from “carry, bear” > “carried thing, burden” > “baby (being carried by pregnant woman)” > “child.” Cognates include Lithuanian bérnas (young, unmarried man; child; boy; servant), Sudovian barnaj (children) (< *bernai), Proto-Germanic *barną (child) (Gothic 𐌱𐌰𐍂𐌽 (barn), Swedish barn, English bairn (child)). In the sense of “burden,” also Proto-Slavic *bermę < *bermen- (dialectal Russian бере́мя (berémja, burden; lap)), Old Armenian բեռն (beṙn), Ancient Greek φέρνη (phérnē, dowry); in the sense of “pregnant,” Russian бере́менная (berémennaja), Polish brzemienna, from brzemienny (full of cargo); and in the sense of “to be born, birth,” Ancient Greek φέρμα (phérma, fruit of the earth), Old English ġeberan (to bring forth, to give birth), German gebären, English bear, be born.[1]

Pronunciation[edit]

Noun[edit]

bērns m (1st declension)

  1. child (boy or girl up to approximately 14 or 13 years of age)
    mazs bērnssmall child
    raudošs bērnscrying, weeping child
    nerātns bērnsnaughty child
    neiznests bērnspremature (lit. not-fully-carried) child
    ārlaulības, nelikumīgs bērnsout-of-wedlock, illegitimate child
    bērna audzināšanaa child's education
    auklēt bērnuto baby-sit a child
    kopt bērnuto care for a child
    mācīt bērnuto teach a child
    adoptēt bērnuto adopt a child
    bērnu ratiņistrollers (literally, “little children's carts”)
    bērnu autiņidiapers (literally, “children's little cloths”)
    bērnu nams, bērnunamsorphanage (literally, “children's house”)
    bērnu dārzs, bērnudārzskindergarten (literally, “children's garden”)
    bērnu laukums(children's) playground
    bērnu literatūrachildren's literature, books
    bērnu ārstspediatrician (lit. children's doctor)
    bērnu spēlechildren's play (= something very simple and easy)
    tu runā kā bērnsyou talk like a child (= too naively, childishly)
  2. child (son or daughter, regardless of age, in relation to their parents; descendants)
    vienu vecāku bērnichildren of the same parents, siblings
    pieauguši bērnigrownup children
    viņai ir vienpadsmit bērnu: septiņas meitas un četri dēlishe has eleven children: seven daughters and four sons
    kad bērni lieli, iet tie paši ar savu galvu un vecāku prātu(please add an English translation of this usage example)
  3. (colloquial) animal offspring
    “vai, māt, Brūnaļai teļinš!” meitene priecīgi sasit rokas... “Brūnaļa mani vairs nepazīst...” “viņai bail, ka tu nedari pāri viņas bērnam“oh, Mum, Brūnaļa (the cow) has a little calf!” the girl happily clapped her hands... “Brūnaļa doesn't know me anymore...” “she is afraid of what you might do to her child
  4. (poetic) person, with respect to land, people, nation, political movement, etc. to which he or she belongs
    tu biji krietnais tautas bērnsyou were an honest, decent child of the people
    dziesma, ai dziesmiņa, skani skaļi / visur, kur Latvijas bērniem mājas!song, oh little song, do sound loud / everywhere where Latvia's children have homes!

Declension[edit]

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Derived terms[edit]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Karulis, Konstantīns (1992), “bērns”, in Latviešu Etimoloģijas Vārdnīca (in Latvian), Rīga: AVOTS, →ISBN