meita

meita (nominative singular)
meitas (nominative plural)
meitas (genitive singular)
meitu (genitive plural)
meitai (dative singular)
meitām (dative plural)
meitu (accusative singular)
meitas (accusative plural)
meitu (instrumental singular)
meitām (instrumental plural)
meitā (locative singular)
meitās (locative plural)
meit (singular vocative)
meitas (plural vocative)

Traditionally, this word is considered borrowed from Middle Low German meid (“female servant”) (or from Middle High German meyt, meyde, or Middle Dutch meit), which replaced an older Proto-Indo-European word, probably *dukte, cognate with Lithuanian duktė̃, Old Prussian duckti, Russian дочь (doč’), German Tochter, English daughter (< Proto-Indo-European *dʰugh₂tḗr). It has, however, been pointed out that (a) the meaning “daughter” is older (“servant” is attested only from the 19th century), which is the opposite of what should happen if it were a borrowing from Germanic; (b) the broken intonation is not usual in borrowings from Germanic; and (c) the presumed original word *dukte has left no trace in place names, dialectal forms, etc. On account of that, some researchers believe that meita is not a borrowing, but actually the original word for “daughter” in Latvian, i.e. Latvian did not derive “daughter” from Proto-Indo-European *dʰugh₂tḗr (like Latin, which has fīlia). A possible source would be Proto-Indo-European *mēy- (“soft, tender, dear”), with an extra t; meita would have originally been the feminine form of the resulting adjective *meits (“tender, dear, loved”). Another possibility would be the same stem as mīt (“to change”): the original meaning would have been “changing (status, via marriage)” > “young woman about to get married” > “unmarried young woman; daughter.”

der

māte un meita

vecākā, jaunākā meita

vienīgā meita

māsas meita

mātei bija divi dēli un trīs meitas

the mother had two sons and three daughters

onkulim ir meita, agronome Kurzemē

uncle has a daughter, an agronomist in Courland

daughter (a female child, with respect to her parents)


bērns

bērns (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)

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.

cog

mazs bērns

raudošs bērns

nerātns bērns

neiznests bērns

premature (lit. not-fully-carried) child

ārlaulības, nelikumīgs bērns

bērna audzināšana

auklēt bērnu

kopt bērnu

mācīt bērnu

adoptēt bērnu

bērnu ratiņi

strollers (literally, “little children's carts”)

bērnu autiņi

diapers (literally, “children's little cloths”)

bērnu nams, bērnunams

orphanage (literally, “children's house”)

bērnu dārzs, bērnudārzs

kindergarten (literally, “children's garden”)

bērnu laukums

bērnu literatūra

bērnu ārsts

bērnu spēle

children's play (= something very simple and easy)

tu runā kā bērns

you talk like a child (= too naively, childishly)

child (boy or girl up to approximately 14 or 13 years of age)

vienu vecāku bērni

pieauguši bērni

viņai ir vienpadsmit bērnu: septiņas meitas un četri dēli

she has eleven children: seven daughters and four sons

kad bērni lieli, iet tie paši ar savu galvu un vecāku prātu

child (son or daughter, regardless of age, in relation to their parents; descendants)

“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”

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!

(poetic) person, with respect to land, people, nation, political movement, etc. to which he or she belongs


meitene

meitene (nominative singular)
meitenes (nominative plural)
meitenes (genitive singular)
meiteņu (genitive plural)
meitenei (dative singular)
meitenēm (dative plural)
meiteni (accusative singular)
meitenes (accusative plural)
meiteni (instrumental singular)
meitenēm (instrumental plural)
meitenē (locative singular)
meitenēs (locative plural)
meitene (singular vocative)
meitenes (plural vocative)

zēns

antonym(s) of “of "young, unmarried woman"”

From meita (“daughter, girl”) + -ene. First attested in 18th-century sources, at first only as “little girl,” later on also as “young woman.”

čakla meitene

meiteņu skola

meiteņu koris

meitene ar bizītēm

meiteņu apģērbi

rotaļās gāja zēni un meitenes

dūšīga sieva ar trim meitenēm, vecumā no desmit līdz četrpadsmit gadiem

a robust woman with three girls, aged from ten to fourteen years

girl (female child, up to approximately 18 years of age)


zēns

zēns (nominative singular)
zēni (nominative plural)
zēna (genitive singular)
zēnu (genitive plural)
zēnam (dative singular)
zēniem (dative plural)
zēnu (accusative singular)
zēnus (accusative plural)
zēnu (instrumental singular)
zēniem (instrumental plural)
zēnā (locative singular)
zēnos (locative plural)
zēn (singular vocative)
zēni (plural vocative)

Borrowed from Middle High German söhn (“son”) (sȫne); cf. Sohn (“son”). The e is the nearest vowel to ö in Latvian; the length probably results from the influence of dēls (“son”). In an 18th-century dictionary, zēns is mentioned as “rarely used,” and only in the area around Riga and in Courland; in the 19th century, the word was still mostly used in Courland, but had already entered the literary language, as a synonym of puisis.

zēnu koris

zēnu apģērbi

zēnu rotaļas

zēnu nedarbi

zēnu skola

zēnu istaba

the boys' room (restroom, especially at school)

Haris ir zēns, viņam vēl tālu līdz lielam cilvēkam, viņš daudz nesaprot

Haris is a boy, he has a long way to go to become a grown-up, he doesn't understand much

boy (a male child, approximately until 11 years of age)

sanāca vairāk nekā divdesmit vīriešu, visvairāk jauni zēni, bet arī pusmūža vīri un pat pāris sirmgalvju

more than twenty men came, mostly young boys, bet also some middle-aged men and a few seniors

es vēl negribu uzņemties rūpes par ģimeni... es esmu pavisam zaļš zēns

I don't want to take care of the family yet... I am (still) a very green (= immature) boy

meitenei bija savs zēns

no tās reizes, kad Jautrīte Raiņa vidusskolas sarīkojumā iepazinās ar Guntaru, daži sāka sačukstēties, ka Guntars esot Jautrītes zēns

from that time when Jautrīte met Guntars at the event in the Rainis middle school, some (people) started to whisper that Guntars was Jautrīte's boy (= boyfriend)

boy, boyfriend (a young man in whom a woman is romantically interested)

viņš ir lāga zēns

tēvocis patiešām bija zelta zēns

vecais zēns

old boy! (used to show familiarity, friendship)

(usually with an adjective or adjectival expression) boy, guy (a young man seen as having some, usually positive, quality)


mazulis

mazulis (nominative singular)
mazuļi (nominative plural)
mazuļa (genitive singular)
mazuļu (genitive plural)
mazulim (dative singular)
mazuļiem (dative plural)
mazuli (accusative singular)
mazuļus (accusative plural)
mazuli (instrumental singular)
mazuļiem (instrumental plural)
mazulī (locative singular)
mazuļos (locative plural)
mazuli (singular vocative)
mazuļi (plural vocative)

auklēt mazuli

rotaļāties ar mazuli

dūdo mazulis ratiņos

little child, little one, baby (syn. zīdainis)


zīdainis

lv-noun

zīdainis m (2nd declension, feminine form: zīdaine)

zīdaine (feminine)
zīdainis (nominative singular)
zīdaiņi (nominative plural)
zīdaiņa (genitive singular)
zīdaiņu (genitive plural)
zīdainim (dative singular)
zīdaiņiem (dative plural)
zīdaini (accusative singular)
zīdaiņus (accusative plural)
zīdaini (instrumental singular)
zīdaiņiem (instrumental plural)
zīdainī (locative singular)
zīdaiņos (locative plural)
zīdaini (singular vocative)
zīdaiņi (plural vocative)

From zīst (past stem: zīd-) (“to suck, to suckle”) + -ains, made into a masculine 2nd-declension noun (ending -is).

suffix

zīdaiņa kopšana

zīdaiņa uzturs

zīdaiņa vecums

infant, baby (child in its first year of life, when its basic food is mother's milk)


zīdaine

lv-noun

zīdaine f (5th declension, masculine form: zīdainis)

zīdainis (masculine)
zīdaine (nominative singular)
zīdaines (nominative plural)
zīdaines (genitive singular)
zīdaiņu (genitive plural)
zīdainei (dative singular)
zīdainēm (dative plural)
zīdaini (accusative singular)
zīdaines (accusative plural)
zīdaini (instrumental singular)
zīdainēm (instrumental plural)
zīdainē (locative singular)
zīdainēs (locative plural)
zīdaine (singular vocative)
zīdaines (plural vocative)


bērnība

bērnība (nominative singular)
bērnības (genitive singular)
bērnībai (dative singular)
bērnību (accusative singular)
bērnību (instrumental singular)
bērnībā (locative singular)
bērnība (singular vocative)

laimīga, bezrūpīga bērnība – a happy, carefree childhood

bērnības draugi – childhood friends

bērnības atmiņas – childhood memories

bērnības rotaļas – childhood toys

bērnam pieder bērnība, laimīgs laiks, kad jaunais pilsonis zinātkārs, iepazīstas ar apkārtējo pasauli – childhood belongs to the child, a happy time when a new curious citizen becomes acquainted with the surrounding world

childhood (time in one's life after one's birth and before one's adolescence)


meitenīte

meitenīte (nominative singular)
meitenītes (nominative plural)
meitenītes (genitive singular)
meitenīšu (genitive plural)
meitenītei (dative singular)
meitenītēm (dative plural)
meitenīti (accusative singular)
meitenītes (accusative plural)
meitenīti (instrumental singular)
meitenītēm (instrumental plural)
meitenītē (locative singular)
meitenītēs (locative plural)
meitenīte (singular vocative)
meitenītes (plural vocative)

From meitene (“girl”) + -īte (“dim.”) (with meitene from meita (“daughter, girl”) + -ene).

puisītis vai meitenīte?

is it a little boy or a little girl? (asked to a pregnant woman)

šai aukstumā un tumsā pa ielu gāja maza, nabadzīga meitenīte kailu galvu un basām kājām

in this cold and darkness there went by the road a small, poor little girl, bareheaded and barefoot


skuķēns

skuķēns (nominative singular)
skuķēni (nominative plural)
skuķēna (genitive singular)
skuķēnu (genitive plural)
skuķēnam (dative singular)
skuķēniem (dative plural)
skuķēnu (accusative singular)
skuķēnus (accusative plural)
skuķēnu (instrumental singular)
skuķēniem (instrumental plural)
skuķēnā (locative singular)
skuķēnos (locative plural)
skuķēn (singular vocative)
skuķēni (plural vocative)

From skuķis (“girl, young woman”) + -ēns.

Ingūna vēl nevarēja lepoties ar briedumu, kas meitenes atšķir no skuķēniem

Ingūna could not yet boast of maturity, that which distinguishes young women from little girls

sīks skuķēns, tāds kā pelēks griezes bērns, tecēja pa celiņu

a little girl, just like a baby gray corncrake, ran through the passage


puisītis

puisītis (nominative singular)
puisīši (nominative plural)
puisīša (genitive singular)
puisīšu (genitive plural)
puisītim (dative singular)
puisīšiem (dative plural)
puisīti (accusative singular)
puisīšus (accusative plural)
puisīti (instrumental singular)
puisīšiem (instrumental plural)
puisītī (locative singular)
puisīšos (locative plural)
puisīt (singular vocative)
puisīši (plural vocative)

From puisis (“young man, boy”) + -ītis (“dim.”).

suffix

puisītis vai meitenīte?

dziesma par mazo puisīti

Rīgas Dzemdību namā šogad pirmais piedzimis puisītis

the first little boy born this year in the Maternity Hospital of Riga


puisēns

puisēns (nominative singular)
puisēni (nominative plural)
puisēna (genitive singular)
puisēnu (genitive plural)
puisēnam (dative singular)
puisēniem (dative plural)
puisēnu (accusative singular)
puisēnus (accusative plural)
puisēnu (instrumental singular)
puisēniem (instrumental plural)
puisēnā (locative singular)
puisēnos (locative plural)
puisēn (singular vocative)
puisēni (plural vocative)

sešus gadus vecs puisēns

brīnišķīgs puisēns ieradās pasaulē jau pirmajā laulības gadā

a wonderful little boy came to the world already in the first year of (their) marriage

māte neatbildēja; zinātkārīgā puisēna jautājums varbūt viņai bija par grūtu

the mother didn't answer; the curious little boy's question was perhaps too hard for her


puisis

puisis (nominative singular)
puiši (nominative plural)
puiša (genitive singular)
puišu (genitive plural)
puisim (dative singular)
puišiem (dative plural)
puisi (accusative singular)
puišus (accusative plural)
puisi (instrumental singular)
puišiem (instrumental plural)
puisī (locative singular)
puišos (locative plural)
puisi (singular vocative)
puiši (plural vocative)

Borrowed from Livonian pȯis (“little child”) (cf. also Estonian poiss, Finnish dialectal poissi), the diminutive of pūoga (“son, child”). From the same term also puika was borrowed (q.v.). Apparently, puisis is older than puika, since it is already mentioned in 17th-century sources, and occurs in 16th-century family names.

puiša dienas

young man's days (i.e., before marriage)

palikt, dzīvot puisī

to remain, to live as (lit. in) a young man (= unmarried)

vasarā klēts bija jauniešu - puišu un meitu - iemīļota satikšanās vieta

in summer the barn was the favorite meeting place of young people - boys and girls

un nākotne nu bija tāda, ka Ilga precēsies ar šo puisi

and the future was now such that Ilga (had) married this young man


zeņķis

zeņķis (nominative singular)
zeņķi (nominative plural)
zeņķa (genitive singular)
zeņķu (genitive plural)
zeņķim (dative singular)
zeņķiem (dative plural)
zeņķi (accusative singular)
zeņķus (accusative plural)
zeņķi (instrumental singular)
zeņķiem (instrumental plural)
zeņķī (locative singular)
zeņķos (locative plural)
zeņķi (singular vocative)
zeņķi (plural vocative)

Borrowed from Middle Low German sönke (“son (dim.”) (also sänke), borrowed in parallel to zēns from the non-diminutive form söhn, sȫne.

tos zeņķus gan tu, Matīs, esi pagalam nomocījis

those guys, Matīs, you have really harassed them