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"opposite" in seven languages

Meaningopposite

Spanish

opuesto

/oˈpwesto/

learned

Reshaped after puesto, the participle of poner.

French

opposé

/ɔpoze/

other source · participle of opposer, from Latin OPPŌNERE remodelled on poser

Italian

opposto

/opˈposto/

learned

Reshaped after posto, the participle of porre.

Portuguese

oposto

/oˈpostu/

learned

Reshaped after posto, the participle of pôr, as in Spanish and Italian.

Romanian

opus

/oˈpus/

learned

Reshaped after pus, the participle of pune.

Catalan

oposat

/upuˈzat/

other source · participle of oposar, from Latin OPPŌNERE remodelled on posar

English

opposite

/ˈɑpəzɪt/

from Latin/French · Old French opposite, from Latin OPPOSITUM

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

The Latin ancestor

OPPOSITUM‘placed against’

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

The story

Latin OPPŌNERE meant 'to put against'. Spanish and Italian rebuilt its participle on their own words for 'put' (puesto, posto); French made a new verb on poser, so opposé is its participle.

English relatives: opposition, oppose, position, posture

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In a sentence

  • esSe fueron en la dirección opuesta.
  • frIls sont partis dans la direction opposée.
  • itSono andati nella direzione opposta.
  • ptEles foram na direção oposta.
  • roAu plecat în direcția opusă.
  • caVan marxar en la direcció oposada.
  • enThey went in the opposite direction.

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