vecāki

Latvian

Etymology

The term vecāki (“parents”) constitutes a nominalized use of the comparative plural form of the adjective vecs (“old”) and a calque of German Eltern (“parents”). In previous centuries it was also used in the sense of “ancient ones,” “ancestors,” “elders,” “wise ones;” in the 20th century, its meaning had become restricted to “parents.” Previously, combinations like tēvs un māte “father and mother” or tēvs māmiņa (lit. “father-mommy”).

Adjective

vecāki

1. nominative plural masculine of vecāks

Noun

vecāki m (1st declension)

1. (of people) parents (someone's father and mother)

   vecāku mīlestība ― parents' love, parental love

   vecāku tiesības ― parental rights

   mani vecāki bija apprecējušies normālā vecumā ― my parents had married at the normal age

2. (biology) parent, parental (an organism which has created other organisms)

   jaunie organismi atšķiras no vecākiem ― young, new organisms differ from (their) parents

   bedzimumvairošanās procesā piedalās tikai viens vecāku organisms, no kura somatiskajām šūnām vai atsevišķām daļām veidojas divi vai vairāki jauni organismi ― in the process of asexual reproduction, only one parental organism participates, from whose somatic cells or separate parts two or more new organisms are formed

Declension

Declension of vecāki (1st declension)

	singular	plural
nominative	—	vecāki
genitive	—	vecāku
dative	—	vecākiem
accusative	—	vecākus
instrumental	—	vecākiem
locative	—	vecākos
vocative	—	vecāki