A nominalized version of an earlier adjectivebiedrs “bound, linked”, fromProto-Baltic*bend- with an extra (adjectivizing)-ro (cf.stipt(“to become rigid, to harden”) :stiprs(“strong”), fromProto-Indo-European*bʰendʰ-(“to join, to bind, to tie”), whence alsoGothic𐌱𐌹𐌽𐌳𐌰𐌽(bindan),Old High Germanbintan,Germanbinden,Englishbind. Cognates includeLithuanianbeñdras(“comrade, participant; (adj.) common, shared”).[1]
biedrs m (1st declension,feminine form:biedreorbiedrene)
- (male)colleague,mate,comrade(aperson with whom oneworks,studies,together,e.g. aspart of agroup orteam)
- darbabiedrs ―workmate
- cīņubiedrs ―comrade-in-arms (lit. fight, strugglemate)
- klasesbiedrs, skolasbiedrs ―classmate, schoolmate
- (male)companion,mate,fellow(aperson with whom onespendstime,travels,plays,lives)
- istabasbiedrs ―roommate
- ceļabiedrs, ceļabiedrs ―fellow traveller
- sarunubiedrs ―interlocutor (lit. conversationmate)
- dzīvesbiedrs, dzīvesbiedrs ―husband, spouse (lit. lifemate)
- laikabiedrs, laikabiedrs ―contemporary (lit. timemate)
- satikt bērnu dienu rotaļubiedru ―to meet a childhood playmate
- Ceplis uzmeta zīmīgu skatienu pārējiem galdabiedriem ―Ceplis cast a significant look at (his) other tablemates
- (oforganizations) (male)member,fellow
- (komunistiskās) partijasbiedrs ―(communist) partymember
- arodbiedrībasbiedri ―unionmembers
- biedra karte ―member(ship) card
- uzņemt jaunusbiedrus organizācijā ―to receive newmembers into the organization
- maksātbiedru naudu ―to pay amembership fee
- godabiedrs, godabiedrs ―honorarymember
- (dated, during Soviet occupation) (male)comrade(genericform ofaddress topeople with whom thespeaker is notpersonallyacquainted)
- godājamiebiedri! ―honorablecomrades!
- sanāksmē piedalījāsbiedrs Alksnis ―comrade Alksnis participated in the meeting
- biedrs profesors izteica interesantu priekšlikumu ―comrade professor made an interesting proposal
