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"half" in seven languages

Meaninghalf

Spanish

mitad

/miˈtad/

fem.inherited

The adjective is medio: media hora.

French

moitié

/mwatje/

fem.inherited

The adjective is demi: une demi-heure.

Italian

metà

/meˈta/

fem.inherited

The adjective is mezzo: mezz'ora.

Portuguese

metade

/meˈtadʒi/

fem.inherited

The adjective is meio: meia hora.

Romanian

jumătate

/ʒuməˈtate/

fem.other source · Latin *DĪMIDIETĀTEM (from DĪMIDIUS 'half'), reshaped

The same -TĀTEM ending as metade and meitat, but on DĪMIDIUS rather than MEDIUS.

Catalan

meitat

/məjˈtat/

fem.inherited

The adjective is mig: mitja hora.

English

half

/hæf/

native English · Old English healf

plural: halves

English → ItalianhalfmetàNot relatedDifferent sources — learn this one fresh. But English has relatives: median, medium, mediate (MEDIUS).What English and Italian share

The Latin ancestor

MEDIETĀTEM‘the middle, a half (from MEDIUS)’

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

The story

A -TĀTEM noun like cité / città: the noun 'half' comes from MEDIETĀS, while the adjective 'half' (medio, demi, mezzo) comes straight from MEDIUS.

English relatives: median, medium, mediate (MEDIUS)

Sound laws at work

-TĀTEM: -dad, -té, -tà

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In a sentence

  • esMe comí la mitad de la tarta.
  • frJ'ai mangé la moitié du gâteau.
  • itHo mangiato metà della torta.
  • ptComi metade do bolo.
  • roAm mâncat jumătate din tort.
  • caM'he menjat la meitat del pastís.
  • enI ate half of the cake.

More in Numbers

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