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"especially" in seven languages

Meaningespecially

Spanish

especialmente

/espeθjalˈmente/

learned

Sobre todo, 'above all', is just as common.

French

surtout

/syʁtu/

other source · French sur 'over' + tout 'all' (Latin SUPER + TŌTUM)

Spécialement and particulièrement also exist, but surtout is the everyday word.

Italian

specialmente

/spetʃalˈmente/

learned

Soprattutto, 'above all', paints the same picture as French surtout.

Portuguese

especialmente

/ispesjawˈmẽtʃi/

learned

Romanian

mai ales

/maj aˈles/

other source · Romanian mai 'more' (Latin MAGIS) + ales 'chosen', participle of alege (Latin ELIGERE)

Catalan

especialment

/əspəsiəlˈmen/

learned

English

especially

/ɪˈspɛʃəli/

from Latin/French · Old French especial (Latin SPECIĀLIS) + -ly

English → ItalianespeciallyspecialmenteCognateSame source — inherited, learned or borrowed. You can recognize it.What English and Italian share

The Latin ancestor

SPECIĀLEM‘of a particular kind (from SPECIĒS)’

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

The story

Spanish and Italian build the adverb with Latin MENTE. Spanish especial got the e- it puts before s + consonant, and English especially kept that e- from Old French, beside the bare special.

English relatives: special, species, specific

Sound laws at work

Adverbs in -mente / -mentC before E and IS + consonant at the start of a word

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In a sentence

  • esMe encanta la fruta, especialmente las cerezas.
  • frJ'adore les fruits, surtout les cerises.
  • itAdoro la frutta, specialmente le ciliegie.
  • ptAdoro frutas, especialmente cerejas.
  • roIubesc fructele, mai ales cireșele.
  • caM'encanta la fruita, especialment les cireres.
  • enI love fruit, especially cherries.

More words from the same Latin

More in Little words

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