viens

• IPA^(key): /vjɛ̃/

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viens

1. first-person singular present indicative of venir
2. second-person singular present indicative of venir
3. second-person singular imperative of venir

Present participle of vieō

viēns m or f or n (genitive vientis); third declension

1. bending

Third declension.

¹When used purely as an adjective.

From Proto-Baltic *eynos (with ey > ie metathesis; note that some 17th-century Kurzeme and Zemgale dialects still had some forms with ey), from a Proto-Indo-European *éyno-, éynos, from *éy, *óy (“he, it”) (non-Baltic cognates derive from *óy; compare Proto-Indo-European *óynos (“one”)) with a suffix *-no, which originally had an adjectival meaning. The Eastern Baltic cognates (unlike Old Prussian have an initial v, which suggests an intermediate Eastern Baltic form *weynos. This initial *w may result from sporadic word-initial consonant-joining phenomena, or from a possible particle *w-, *we-. Cognates of viens include Lithuanian víenas, Old Prussian ains, Gothic 𐌰𐌹𐌽𐍃 (ains), German eins, English one, Old Irish oín, Ancient Greek οἰνός (oinós, “one (when throwing dice)”), Latin ūnus (< *oinos). From the form *eynos comes also Proto-Slavic *inъ, *edinъ, *edьnъ (“one”) (Old Church Slavonic ѥдинъ (jedinŭ), ѥдьнъ (jedĭnŭ), Ukrainian, Russian оди́н (odín), Belarusian адзі́н (adzín), Bulgarian еди́н (edín), Czech, Slovak, Polish jeden.[1]

• IPA^(key): [viɛ̂ns]

viens

1. one (the cipher, the cardinal number one)

   pieci un viens ir seši ― five and one is six

   no diviem atņemt vienu ― to subtract one from two

2. one (an amount equal to one)

   viens galds, zimulis ― one table, pencil

   viena tonna ― one ton

   viens kilograms, litrs, metrs ― one kilo, liter, meter

   vieni vārti, svārki, rati ― one gate, skirt, cart

   vienas mājas, bikses ― one home, one pair of pants

   pirms viena gada ― one year ago

   nosvērt vienu kilogramu sviesta ― to weigh one kilo of butter

3. one o'clock (a moment in time; one hour after midnight, or after noon)

   pulkstenis ir viens ― it is one o'clock

   pulkstenis ir pāri vieniem ― it is past one o'clock

   no vieniem līdz diviem ― from one to two o'clock

   vilciens pienāk vienos ― the train arrives at one o'clock

4. (arithmetic, used as a noun) one, unit (the digit in the last position in a number)

   saskaitīt vienus ar vieniem, desmitus ar desmitiem ― to add the ones with the ones, the tens with the tens

5. (used as a noun) one (person, thing, event, action)

   visi par vienu, viens par visiem ― all for one and one for all

   visi kā viens ― all as one

   viens, kas man rūp, ir laika trūkums ― one (thing) I care about is the lack of time

   runāt vienu, bet darīt (ko) citu ― to say one (thing) and do another

   viena dziedāja, otra spēlēja ― one (girl) is drawing, the other is playing

6. one, a certain (marking indefiniteness)

   vienā jaukā dienā ― (in) one nice, fine day

   tur jūs viens gaida ― one (person) is waiting for you there

7. the same (indicating identity, sameness)

   viens un tas pats — one and the same

   atkārtot vienu un to pašu — to repeat the same thing

   vienā laikā — at the same time

   vienā ritmā — in the same rhythm

   būt vienos gados ― to be of the same age

   abi domāja vienu domu ― both are thinking the same thought

   viena lieluma priekšmeti ― objects of the same size

8. alone, by oneself, without the help of others

   viens pats, viena pati ― alone by himself, alone by herself

   viņš dzivo gluži viens ― he lives completely alone

   mēs ar brāli palikām vieni ― I stayed alone with my brother

9. (with otrs) one or other, some, a few (people, objects, events)

   viens otrs to apšauba ― a few (people) doubt it.

   vienā otrā' gadījumā, vietā — ín a few cases, places

10. (with otrs, in different cases) each other, one another (indicating mutual relations, influence)

    cienīt vienam otru ― to respect each other

    viņi tuliņ pazina viens otru ― they immediately recognized each other

    viņi palīdz viens otram ― they help each other

    iet viens aiz otra ― to go one after another

    labi izturēties vienam pret otram ― to treat each other well

11. (with no) one of the... (member of a certain group)

    viņš ir viens no labākajiem mūsdienu rakstniekiem ― he is one of the best contemporary writers

    tas ir viens no tiem gadījumiem, kas liek padomāt ― this is one of those cases that make one think

    viens no diviem - jā vai nē ― either yes or no (lit. one of two (options): yes or no)

12. one, in one (indicating continuity, lack of interruption)

    zirgs ir vienās putās ― the horse is in a lather, agitated

    māja stāv vienās liesmās ― the house is in one flame (= aflame, in flames, on fire)

    runāt vienā gabalā ― to speak in one piece (= without interruption)

    dzīvot vienās bailēs ― to live in one fear (= constantly in fear)

13. one, one really... (used to intensify the meaning)

    viņš ir viens kārtīgs cilvēks ― he is one (really) neat person

    ak tu viens palaidni! ― oh you (are) one mischievous (person)!

    tā mūsu Beņa ir gan viena! ko tik viņa sadomā, to izdara, lai vai kas... ― our Beņa is really one (woman)! whatever she fancies, she does, no matter what...

Usually, only the singular forms of viens are used; the plural forms only occur with plural-only words (“pluralia tantum“). Also, in time expressions, the singular viens is used in “it is one o'clock,” but the plural form vieniem is used with postpositions (note also the simple locative plural form vienos “at one o'clock”).

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