"by (the doer: written by)" in seven languages
Meaningby (the doer: written by)
Spanish
por
/poɾ/
other source · Latin PRŌ, crossed with PER
French
par
/paʁ/
inherited
Italian
da
/da/
other source · probably Latin DĒ + AB
The same da as 'from': the doer is where the action comes from.
Portuguese
por
/poh/
other source · Latin PRŌ, crossed with PER
It fuses with the article: por + a → pela.
Romanian
de
/de/
other source · Latin DĒ 'from'
Formal style also says de către.
Catalan
per
/pəɾ/
inherited
English
by
/baɪ/
native English · Old English bī
English → Italianby (the doer: written by)daNot relatedDifferent sources — learn this one fresh.What English and Italian share
The Latin ancestor
PER‘through, by means of’
All six sisters descend from it, unless marked otherwise below.
The story
Latin marked the doer with A / AB 'from'. French goes 'through' (par), Spanish uses por, and Italian 'from' (da), which is closest to the Latin idea.
Learn it
In a sentence
- esEl libro fue escrito por una mujer.
- frLe livre a été écrit par une femme.
- itIl libro è stato scritto da una donna.
- ptO livro foi escrito por uma mulher.
- roCartea a fost scrisă de o femeie.
- caEl llibre va ser escrit per una dona.
- enThe book was written by a woman.