"this" in seven languages
Meaningthis
Spanish
/ˈeste/
inherited
fem.: esta
Plural estos, estas; the neuter esto means 'this (thing)'.
French
/sə/
inherited
fem.: cette
From Old French cest (ECCE ISTUM); cet before a vowel (cet ami), plural ces for both genders.
Italian
/ˈkwesto/
inherited
fem.: questa
From ECCU(M) ISTUM 'look, this'.
Portuguese
/ˈestʃi/
inherited
fem.: esta
In Brazilian speech esse has largely taken over: essa música 'this song'.
Romanian
/aˈtʃest/
inherited
fem.: această
From ECCE ISTUM. After the noun it becomes acesta (cântecul acesta), in speech ăsta.
Catalan
/əˈket/
inherited
fem.: aquesta
From ECCUM ISTUM, like Italian questo.
English
/ðɪs/
native English · Old English þis
The Latin ancestor
ISTUM‘this (one) of yours’
All six sisters descend from it, unless marked otherwise below.
The story
Classical HIC 'this' died out, and ISTE, once 'that one near you', moved closer to the speaker. Spanish kept it bare; French and Italian (and Romanian, Catalan) glued ECCE / ECCUM 'look!' in front: ce, questo. It agrees with the noun: esta canción, cette chanson, questa canzone.
Learn it
In a sentence
- esMe gusta esta canción.
- frJ'aime bien cette chanson.
- itMi piace questa canzone.
- ptGosto muito desta música.
- roÎmi place cântecul ăsta.
- caM'agrada aquesta cançó.
- enI like this song.