viņš

See also vins, vîns, and vīns

Latgalian

Pronoun

viņš m

1. that one, that, the other one, the other

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Latvian

Etymology

There are several theories on the origin of this word. According to some, it has the same origin as one: Proto-Baltic *winyas, from Proto-Indo-European *óynos, *éynos, *ínos (possibly from *h₁ey-, *ey-, *i- (“that; he”)), made into a yo-stem and with an extra initial w-. Others suggest a connection with Old Prussian winna (“outside”) (possibly < *winnā < *winnān), from wins (“air (outside)”), derived from a possible Proto-Baltic *vina-. A more recent suggestion is that viņš results from a compound of *vinE (E = conditioned vowel) + an old jis, is (“there, he”) (cf. Lithuanian jis (“he”)), with *vinE corresponding to Old Prussian winna and to Old Church Slavonic вънѣ (vŭně, “outside”) (cf. Russian вне (“outside”)). From *vin-(j)is > viņš, and from *vin-(j)i > *viņi > viņa, by analogy with feminine a-stems. The dialectal (Pilda Latgalian) form veńìs (masc.), veńei (fem.) lend this hypothesis some support.

Pronunciation

• IPA: [viɲʃ]

Pronoun

viņš (personal, 3rd person singular masculine) (fem. viņa, masc. pl. viņi, fem. pl. viņas)

1. he; third person pronoun, referring to someone other than the speaker or addressee

   ienāca lektors, viņu saņēma aplausiem — the lecturer came in, (the audience) received him with applause

   to sacīja viņa tēvs — his father said that

   Blaumanis aizbrauca uz Valmieru; tur notika “Indrānu” izrāde, kurā arī viņam pašam bija loma — Blaumanis went to Valmieru; there was the “Indrāni” show, in which he himself had (= played) a part

2. his (in the genitive, as part of certain titles)

   viņa eminence, majestāte, augstība — his eminence, majesty, highness

3. he (referring to masculine animals, objects, etc.)

   sunim nezin kas uznācis, sāka pa vakariem gaudot, tā ka vajadzēja aizvest uz riju un ieslodzīt pelavu pūnītē, tur viņš gan vaimanāja vēl skaļāk — the dog didn't know what come up, began to howl in the evening, so that it was necessary to take him to the barn and lock him up, (and) there he howled even louder

4. (usually as a non-nominative modifying adjective) that, the other (one); distal demonstrative pronoun

   viņā malā, galā, puse — on the other bank, end, side

   aiziet līdz viņam stūriem — to go up to that, the other corner

   viņās dienās — in those days (= in earlier days, in the past)

   viņos laikos — in those times (= in old, ancient times)

   te pa ceļu no viņas puses kāds brauc — here on the road someone is going (by) from the other side

Declension

declension of viņš

nominative (nominatīvs)	viņš
accusative (akuzatīvs)	viņu
genitive (ģenitīvs)	viņa
dative (datīvs)	viņam
instrumental (instrumentālis)	viņu
locative (lokatīvs)	viņā

Related terms

• viņējs

See also

• vietniekvārds
• Personal pronouns (personu vietniekvārdi):

  es, tu, viņš, viņa, mēs, jūs, viņi, viņas; sevi

References