English Explanatory Dictionary

Bern

English dictionary entry

Meanings

name
  1. A placename
  2. A federal city of Switzerland; the capital city of Bern canton.
  3. A canton of Switzerland.
  4. A surname
name
  1. A unisex given name, variant of Bernie.
  2. A diminutive of the male given name Bernard, variant of Bernie.
  3. A diminutive of the female given names Bernadette or Bernice, variant of Bernie.

Pronunciation

bû(r)n /bɜː(ɹ)n/ LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-Bern.wav /bɝn/ bârn /bɛ(ɹ)n/

Word forms

Bern Berns Berne

Etymology

From Alemannic German Bärn, of uncertain further origin. A popular folk etymology says it was named by its founder, Berthold V, Duke of Zähringen, after the first animal he saw in the area, a Bär(in) (“bear”) (compare Berlin, subject to a similar folk etymology). The name is now thought to be connected to a Celtic word, Proto-Celtic *berna (“cleft”) (from Proto-Indo-European *bʰerH- (“to carve out, cut”)) and *branos (“raven”) (compare the name ΒΡΕΝΟΔΩΡ (BRENODŌR), on the Bern zinc tablet, which has also been connected with the Gaulish name Brennus). More at Bern.

Derived words

Bernese New Bern

Translations

Afrikaans: Bern Catalan: Berna Finnish: Bern French: Berne Georgian: ბერნი Georgian: ბერნის კანტონი German: Bern Italian: Berna Maltese: Bern Polish: Berno Romansh: Berna Russian: Берн Russian: канто́н Берн Ukrainian: Берн
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