bēda

From Proto-Baltic *bēd-, from Proto-Indo-European *bʰēdʰ-, the lengthened grade of *bʰedʰ- (“to bend, to press”). Via ē > ey alternation, there was also a parallel form *bʰeydʰ-, from which derive the Germanic and Greek forms, and its o-grade *bʰoydʰ-, from which derive the Slavic forms. (Some specialists consider bēda a borrowing from Slavic, but the falling intonation is not usually found on borrowings.) The meaning change was probably “to bend, to press” > “to experience coertion, humiliation” > “(to be in) a bad situation.” Cognates include Lithuanian bėdà, Proto-Slavic *běda (“adversity, misery”) (Russian беда́ (bedá, “adversity, tribulation, disaster”), Belarusian бе́дны (bjédny), бяда́ (bjadá), Ukrainian біда́ (bidá), Czech běda, bída (“need, poverty”), Polish bieda (“poverty, deprivation, unhappiness”)), Gothic 𐌱𐌰𐌹𐌳𐌾𐌰𐌽 (baidjan, “to ask for, to force”), Old High German beitten (“ask for”), Gothic 𐌱𐌹𐌳𐌾𐌰𐌽 (bidjan, “to ask, to request”) (< “to bend”), German bitten, Sanskrit बाधते (bā́dhate, “to press”), obstacle, hardship (bādhá), Ancient Greek πείθω (peíthō, “to convince, to persuade”), Latin fīdo (“to trust, to rely upon”) (< *bʰidʰ-, the zero grade of *bʰeydʰ-).^[1]

• IPA^(key): [bæ̀ːda]

• Audio:

  (file)

bēda f (4th declension)

1. (only plural) sadness, sorrow, grief (emotional state caused by, e.g., unhappiness, loss)

   dziļas bēdas ― deep sorrow

   ciest bēdas ― to suffer grief

   palīdzēt, dalīties bēdās ― to help, to share in (case of) sorrow

   mierināt draugu bēdās ― to comfort a friend in sorrow

   bēdu sagrauzts cilvēks ― a person afficlted with grief, a grieving person

2. trouble, misfortune, disaster (unpleasant event, circumstance, condition; thoughts about such an event; concern)

   liela bēda ― great misfortune

   maza bēda ― little problem, trouble

   pārvarēt bēdu ― to overcome a disaster

   tā nav nekāda bēda ― this is no big trouble

   kas man bēdas! ― what trouble (is) that to me!

• bēdīgums
• drūmums
• nomāktība
• sērīgums, serība, sērums
• skumjas, skumjums, skumīgums, skumība

• laime
• prieks, dzīvesprieks

• bēdīgs, bēdīgums
• nebēda
  • nebēdīgs, nebēdīgums, nebēdība
  • nebēdnīgs, nebēdnīgums, nebēdnība
  • nebēdnis, nebēdne, nebēdnieks, nebēdniece