"equal" in seven languages
Meaningequal
Spanish
igual
/iˈɡwal/
inherited
Also 'the same', and colloquially 'maybe': igual llueve. Da igual = it doesn't matter.
French
égal
/eɡal/
learned
plural: égaux
A learned reshaping on the Latin model; ça m'est égal = I don't mind.
Italian
uguale
/uˈɡwale/
inherited
Portuguese
igual
/iˈgwaw/
inherited
Romanian
egal
/eˈgal/
learned
Catalan
igual
/iˈgwal/
inherited
English
equal
/ˈikwəl/
from Latin/French · Latin AEQUĀLIS
English → ItalianequalugualeCognateSame source — inherited, learned or borrowed. You can recognize it.What English and Italian share
The Latin ancestor
AEQUĀLEM‘level, equal’
All six sisters descend from it, unless marked otherwise below.
The story
Spanish and Italian use this word for 'the same' far more than English does: es igual, è uguale. French and Spanish both turn it into a shrug: ça m'est égal, me da igual.
English relatives: equality, equation, adequate, equator
Learn it
In a sentence
- esTodos los ciudadanos son iguales ante la ley.
- frTous les citoyens sont égaux devant la loi.
- itTutti i cittadini sono uguali davanti alla legge.
- ptTodos os cidadãos são iguais perante a lei.
- roToți cetățenii sunt egali în fața legii.
- caTots els ciutadans són iguals davant la llei.
- enAll citizens are equal before the law.