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"forward(s)" in seven languages

Meaningforward(s)

Spanish

adelante

/adeˈlante/

other source · Old Spanish a + delante, from Latin DE IN ANTE

Also an invitation: ¡Adelante! 'Come in!'

French

en avant

/ɑ̃navɑ̃/

inherited

Italian

avanti

/aˈvanti/

inherited

Also 'Come in!' and 'Go on!'

Portuguese

para a frente

/ˈpaɾɐ a ˈfɾẽtʃi/

other source · Portuguese frente 'front' (Latin FRONTEM 'forehead')

Romanian

înainte

/ɨnaˈinte/

inherited

From IN AB ANTE, built like French en avant.

Catalan

endavant

/əndəˈban/

inherited

En + davant, from DĒ AB ANTE.

English

forward

/ˈfɔɹwɚd/

native English · Old English foreweard

English → Italianforward(s)avantiNot relatedDifferent sources — learn this one fresh. But English has relatives: advance, advantage, vanguard (all from AB ANTE via French).What English and Italian share

The Latin ancestor

AB ANTE (Late Latin)‘from in front’

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

The story

French and Italian fused Late Latin AB ANTE into one word, the b softening to v. Spanish built its own stack on the same ANTE: a + de + in + ante.

English relatives: advance, advantage, vanguard (all from AB ANTE via French)

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In a sentence

  • esInclínate un poco hacia adelante.
  • frPenche-toi un peu en avant.
  • itPiegati un po' in avanti.
  • ptIncline-se um pouco para a frente.
  • roApleacă-te puțin înainte.
  • caInclina't una mica endavant.
  • enLean forward a little.

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