[bæ̀ːɾns]
CilmeFrom 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.
- declension-1, masculinechild (boy or girl up to approximately 14 or 13 years of age)
“mazs bērns” — small child
“raudošs bērns” — crying, weeping child
“nerātns bērns” — naughty child
- declension-1, masculinechild (son or daughter, regardless of age, in relation to their parents; descendants)
“vienu vecāku bērni” — children of the same parents, siblings
“pieauguši bērni” — grownup children
“viņai ir vienpadsmit bērnu: septiņas meitas un četri dēli” — she has eleven children: seven daughters and four sons
- colloquial, declension-1, masculineanimal 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”
- declension-1, masculine, poeticperson, with respect to land, people, nation, political movement, etc. to which he or she belongs
“tu biji krietnais tautas bērns” — you 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!
Formasbērns(nominative, singular) · bērni(nominative, plural) · bērna(genitive, singular) · bērnu(genitive, plural) · bērnam(dative, singular) · bērniem(dative, plural) · bērnu(accusative, singular) · bērnus(accusative, plural) · bērnu(instrumental, singular) · bērniem(instrumental, plural) · bērnā(locative, singular) · bērnos(locative, plural) · bērns(singular, vocative) · bērni(plural, vocative)