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"according to" in seven languages

Meaningaccording to

Spanish

según

/seˈgun/

inherited

French

selon

/səlɔ̃/

other source · probably Vulgar Latin *SUBLONGUM 'along'

Italian

secondo

/seˈkondo/

inherited

The same word as secondo 'second'.

Portuguese

segundo

/seˈɡũdu/

inherited

De acordo com is just as common.

Romanian

conform

/konˈform/

other source · French conforme (Latin CONFORMIS)

Catalan

segons

/səˈɡons/

inherited

English

according to

/əˈkɔɹdɪŋ tu/

other source · accord (Old French acorder 'to agree') + -ing + to

English → Italianaccording tosecondoNot relatedDifferent sources — learn this one fresh. But English has relatives: second, sequence, consequence.What English and Italian share

The Latin ancestor

SECUNDUM‘following, along (from SEQUĪ 'to follow')’

All six sisters descend from it, unless marked otherwise below.

The story

SECUNDUM meant 'following': the second is the one that follows, and 'according to X' is following X. Spanish softened c to g (según); French probably went with 'along', selon.

English relatives: second, sequence, consequence

Sound laws at work

Voiceless stops between vowels soften

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In a sentence

  • esSegún el pronóstico, va a llover.
  • frSelon la météo, il va pleuvoir.
  • itSecondo le previsioni, pioverà.
  • ptSegundo a previsão, vai chover.
  • roConform prognozei, va ploua.
  • caSegons la previsió, plourà.
  • enAccording to the forecast, it will rain.

More words from the same Latin

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