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name Uncommon

Bern

burn

Bern (name) means the capital city of Switzerland, located on the Aare River. Example: “The Swiss parliament meets in Bern.”

name
1
The capital city of Switzerland, located on the Aare River.
"The Swiss parliament meets in Bern."

Word forms

Berns plural, Berns plural

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The Swiss parliament meets in _____.

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.

Rhymes for Bern

See all rhymes for Bern →

Frequently asked questions

What does “Bern” mean?

The word “Bern” means the capital city of Switzerland, located on the Aare River.

How do you pronounce “Bern”?

“Bern” is pronounced burn (/bɝn/ in IPA).

How do you use “Bern” in a sentence?

Here is “Bern” used in a sentence: “The Swiss parliament meets in Bern.”

What part of speech is “Bern”?

“Bern” is a name.

Is “Bern” a common word?

“Bern” is an uncommon word in modern English.

Definitions: FreeDict original editorial · etymology from Wiktionary