"only" in seven languages
Meaningonly
Spanish
solo
/ˈsolo/
inherited
Formerly written sólo as an adverb; also solamente.
French
seulement
/sœlmɑ̃/
inherited
Often ne … que: je n'ai que dix euros.
Italian
solo
/ˈsolo/
inherited
Also soltanto, solamente.
Portuguese
só
/sɔ/
inherited
Portuguese lost the intervocalic -l-: SŌLUM → só.
Romanian
doar
/do̯ar/
other source · of uncertain origin
Catalan
només
/nuˈmes/
other source · Catalan no 'not' + més 'more' (MAGIS)
English
only
/ˈoʊnli/
native English · Old English ānlīc
English → ItalianonlysoloNot relatedDifferent sources — learn this one fresh. But English has relatives: sole, solo, solitary.What English and Italian share
The Latin ancestor
SŌLUM‘alone, only’
All six sisters descend from it, unless marked otherwise below.
The story
French builds the adverb with -ment from the adjective seul 'alone'; Spanish and Italian can use the bare adjective solo.
English relatives: sole, solo, solitary
Sound laws at work
Learn it
In a sentence
- esSolo tengo diez euros.
- frJ'ai seulement dix euros.
- itHo solo dieci euro.
- ptSó tenho dez euros.
- roAm doar zece euro.
- caNomés tinc deu euros.
- enI only have ten euros.