"already" in seven languages
Meaningalready
Spanish
ya
/ʝa/
inherited
Also 'now, right away' and 'no longer' (ya no).
French
déjà
/deʒa/
inherited
Old French dès 'from' + jà 'already'.
Italian
già
/dʒa/
inherited
Also 'sure, right' as a reply: Già!
Portuguese
já
/ʒa/
inherited
Romanian
deja
/deˈʒa/
borrowed · French déjà
Catalan
ja
/ʒa/
inherited
English
already
/ɔlˈɹɛdi/
native English · Middle English al redy 'all ready'
English → ItalianalreadygiàNot relatedDifferent sources — learn this one fresh.What English and Italian share
The Latin ancestor
IAM‘already, now’
All six sisters descend from it, unless marked otherwise below.
The story
Latin consonantal I- shows its three modern faces in one syllable: Spanish ʝ, French ʒ, Italian dʒ.
Sound laws at work
Learn it
In a sentence
- esYa he comido.
- frJ'ai déjà mangé.
- itHo già mangiato.
- ptJá comi.
- roAm mâncat deja.
- caJa he menjat.
- enI've already eaten.