"parents" in seven languages
Meaningparents
Spanish
/ˈpadɾes/
masc.other source · plural of padre 'father' (Latin PATREM)
French
/paʁɑ̃/
masc.inherited
Also 'relatives'.
Italian
/dʒeniˈtori/
masc.other source · Latin GENITŌRĒS 'begetters' (learned)
Portuguese
/pajs/
masc.other source · plural of pai 'father', from Latin PATREM
A trap: parentes are relatives, not parents.
Romanian
/pəˈrintsʲ/
masc.inherited
Plural of părinte; Romanian kept PARENTEM for the parents, as French did.
Catalan
/ˈpaɾəs/
masc.other source · plural of pare 'father', from Latin PATREM
A trap: parents in Catalan are relatives.
English
/ˈpɛɹənts/
from Latin/French · Old French parent
Watch out: false friends
parenti (Italian) means “relatives” · parents (English) means “mother and father”
Latin PARENTĒS meant 'parents'; Italian parenti and Spanish parientes widened it to all kin. French parents covers both senses.
The Latin ancestor
PARENTEM‘parent (from PARERE 'to give birth')’
All six sisters descend from it, unless marked otherwise below.
The story
A classic trap: Spanish parientes and Italian parenti are relatives, not parents. Spanish says 'the fathers' (los padres), Italian 'the begetters' (i genitori); only French parents covers both.
English relatives: parent, parental
Learn it
In a sentence
- esMis padres viven en Madrid.
- frMes parents habitent à Madrid.
- itI miei genitori vivono a Madrid.
- ptMeus pais moram em Madri.
- roPărinții mei locuiesc la Madrid.
- caEls meus pares viuen a Madrid.
- enMy parents live in Madrid.