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"simply" in seven languages

Meaningsimply

Spanish

simplemente

/simpleˈmente/

learned

French

simplement

/sɛ̃pləmɑ̃/

learned

Italian

semplicemente

/sempliˈtʃemente/

inherited

Portuguese

simplesmente

/sĩplizˈmẽtʃi/

learned

Romanian

pur și simplu

/pur ʃi ˈsimplu/

learned

Catalan

simplement

/simpləˈmen/

learned

English

simply

/ˈsɪmpli/

from Latin/French · simple (Old French) + -ly

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

The Latin ancestor

SIMPLICEM, SIMPLUM‘single, plain’

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

The story

Adjective plus Latin MENTE 'with a mind': simple-mente, simple-ment, semplice-mente. The French adverb keeps a schwa before -ment.

English relatives: simple, simplicity

Sound laws at work

Adverbs in -mente / -ment

Learn it

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In a sentence

  • esSimplemente dijo que no.
  • frIl a simplement dit non.
  • itHa semplicemente detto di no.
  • ptEle simplesmente disse não.
  • roA spus pur și simplu nu.
  • caSimplement va dir que no.
  • enHe simply said no.

More in Little words

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