Veïns

Veïns is a Catalan noun meaning “neighbors,” referring to people who live near one another, typically in the same building or district. The masculine singular form is veí, the feminine singular is veïna; the corresponding plurals are veïns (masculine or mixed gender) and veïnes (feminine).

Etymology and orthography: veïns derives from Late Latin vicinus, via Old Catalan veí. The diaeresis over the i in veïns marks that the i belongs to a separate syllable, which helps indicate pronunciation in Catalan spelling. This diacritic distinction also appears in related forms such as veïnes.

Usage: Veïns is common in everyday Catalan, as well as in literature, media, and signage. It is used with appropriate articles and adjective agreement: els veïns de l’edifici (the neighbors of the building), les veïnes de l’escala (the female neighbors of the staircase). The singular forms are used when referring to a specific neighbor, for example, el veí or la veïna. In plural phrases, the adjectives and verbs must agree in gender and number with veïns or veïnes.

Notes on social use: The term typically denotes people living in close proximity and is widely used in discussions of community, housing, or neighborhood life in Catalan-speaking regions, including Catalonia, the Balearic Islands, and parts of Valencia and other areas where Catalan or closely related varieties are spoken.

See also: Catalan language; neighbor in Catalan vocabulary.