dvīnis
Latvian
Etymology
From Proto-Indo-European *dwís (“twice, twofold”) (with an extra sufix *-no, *-nyo), from *dwi- (“two”), whence also divi (“two”) (q.v.). Cognates include Lithuanian dvynỹs, Old High German zwiniling (< *twi-na-), German Zwilling, English twin, Latin bini (“in twos, in pairs”) (< *dwis-no-).[1]
Noun
dvīnis m (2nd declension, feminine form: dvīne)
- (male) twin (a boy born together with another child from one mother)
- dvīņu brālis ― twin brother (a man with a twin brother or sister)
- dvīņu māsa ― twin sister (a woman with a twin brother or sister)
- dvīņu zvaigzne ― twin star (i.e., a double star)
- dvīņu klēts ― twin barn (i.e., two barns under the same roof)
- dvīņi ir līdzīgi pēc ārienes ― twins are similar in appearance
- Kaspars domāja par saviem dvīņiem ― Kaspars thought about his twins (children)
- turcietei piedzimuši dvīņi, zēns un meitene ― the Turkish woman gave birth to twins, a boy and a girl
Usage notes
The singular forms exist but are much less frequent in actual usage than the plural forms (e.g., dvīņu brālis, with dvīņu used adjectivally, is more frequent than dvīnis).
Declension
Declension of dvīnis (2nd declension)
Derived terms
- Dvīņi (Zodiac sign)
Related terms
References
- Karulis, Konstantīns (1992), “dvīņi”, in Latviešu Etimoloģijas Vārdnīca (in Latvian), Rīga: AVOTS, →ISBN
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