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"beyond" in seven languages

Meaningbeyond

Spanish

más allá (de)

/mas aˈʝa/

inherited

Literally 'further there'.

French

au-delà (de)

/o dəla/

inherited

L'au-delà is also 'the afterlife'.

Italian

oltre

/ˈoltre/

other source · Latin ULTRĀ 'beyond'

Portuguese

além (de)

/aˈlẽj/

other source · Latin ILLINC 'from there', with AD

Romanian

dincolo (de)

/ˈdinkolo/

other source · din 'from' + colo 'there' (Latin ECCU(M) ILLŌC)

Catalan

més enllà (de)

/mes ənˈʎa/

inherited

English

beyond

/biˈjɑnd/

native English · Old English begeondan

English → ItalianbeyondoltreNot relatedDifferent sources — learn this one fresh. But English has relatives: (Italian oltre) ultra-, ultimate.What English and Italian share

The Latin ancestor

ILLĀC‘that way, over there’

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

The story

Spanish allá and French là both come from ILLĀC 'over there', so 'beyond' is 'further over there'. Italian kept Latin's own preposition, ULTRĀ, worn down to oltre.

English relatives: (Italian oltre) ultra-, ultimate

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In a sentence

  • esEl pueblo está más allá del río.
  • frLe village est au-delà de la rivière.
  • itIl paese è oltre il fiume.
  • ptA aldeia fica além do rio.
  • roSatul este dincolo de râu.
  • caEl poble és més enllà del riu.
  • enThe village is beyond the river.

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