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"both" in seven languages

Meaningboth

Spanish

los dos

/los dos/

inherited

Feminine las dos. Ambos (from Latin AMBŌS) is common in writing.

French

tous les deux

/tu le dø/

inherited

fem.: toutes les deux

Literally 'all the two'.

Italian

tutti e due

/ˈtutti e ˈdue/

inherited

fem.: tutte e due

Also entrambi, from INTER + AMBŌ.

Portuguese

os dois

/us ˈdojs/

inherited

fem.: as duas

Ambos (AMBŌS) is common in writing.

Romanian

amândoi

/amɨnˈdoj/

inherited

fem.: amândouă

Latin AMBŌ 'both' fused with doi 'two': the only sister with one everyday word for it.

Catalan

tots dos

/tots dos/

inherited

fem.: totes dues

Also ambdós, from AMBŌ + DUŌS.

English

both

/boʊθ/

native English · Old English bā, reinforced by Old Norse báðir

English → Italianbothtutti e dueNot relatedDifferent sources — learn this one fresh. But English has relatives: dual, duet, duo.What English and Italian share

The Latin ancestor

DUŌS‘two’

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

The story

Latin AMBŌ 'both' lingers in bookish ambos and entrambi, but speech says 'the two' (Spanish) or 'all the two' (French, Italian). The words agree with the people counted: las dos, toutes les deux, tutte e due.

English relatives: dual, duet, duo

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In a sentence

  • esLos dos tienen razón.
  • frIls ont raison tous les deux.
  • itHanno ragione tutti e due.
  • ptOs dois têm razão.
  • roAmândoi au dreptate.
  • caTots dos tenen raó.
  • enThey're both right.

More in Little words

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