"someone, somebody" in seven languages
Meaningsomeone, somebody
Spanish
alguien
/ˈalɡjen/
other source · Latin ALIQUEM 'someone'
French
quelqu'un
/kɛlkɛ̃/
other source · quelque + un (Latin ŪNUM)
Italian
qualcuno
/kwalˈkuno/
other source · qualche + uno (Latin ŪNUM)
Portuguese
alguém
/awˈɡẽj/
other source · Latin ALIQUEM 'someone'
Romanian
cineva
/ˈtʃineva/
other source · cine 'who' + va (from vrea 'to want')
Catalan
algú
/əlˈɡu/
other source · Latin ALIQUEM 'someone'
English
someone
/ˈsʌmwʌn/
native English · some + one
English → Italiansomeone, somebodyqualcunoNot relatedDifferent sources — learn this one fresh. But English has relatives: alias, alibi (ALIUS 'other'); unique, unit (ŪNUS).What English and Italian share
The story
French and Italian build 'some one' like English; Spanish kept a Latin pronoun, ALIQUEM, just as it kept ALIQUOD in algo.
English relatives: alias, alibi (ALIUS 'other'); unique, unit (ŪNUS)
Learn it
In a sentence
- esHay alguien en la puerta.
- frIl y a quelqu'un à la porte.
- itC'è qualcuno alla porta.
- ptTem alguém na porta.
- roE cineva la ușă.
- caHi ha algú a la porta.
- enSomeone is at the door.