vecāki

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”).[1]

vecāki

1. nominative plural masculine form of vecāks

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