"trousers, pants" in seven languages
Meaningtrousers, pants
Spanish
/pantaˈlon/
masc.borrowed · French pantalon
Singular or plural: el pantalón, los pantalones.
French
/pɑ̃talɔ̃/
masc.borrowed · Italian Pantalone
Singular: un pantalon is one pair.
Italian
/pantaˈloni/
masc.borrowed · French pantalon (itself from Venetian Pantalone)
Plural: i pantaloni.
Portuguese
/ˈkawsɐ/
fem.other source · Latin CALCEAM 'stocking' (via calçar 'to put on')
Brazil uses the singular; Portugal says calças.
Romanian
/pantaˈlonʲ/
masc.borrowed · French pantalon and Italian pantaloni
Catalan
/pəntəˈlons/
masc.borrowed · French pantalon
English
/ˈtɹaʊzɚz/
other source · Scottish Gaelic triubhas
American 'pants' is the shared word: short for pantaloons, from the same Venetian Pantalone.
The ancestor
Venetian Pantalone‘a commedia dell'arte character (from St Pantaleon)’
All six sisters descend from it, unless marked otherwise below.
The story
Pantalone, the old Venetian merchant of the commedia dell'arte, wore long tight breeches. French named the garment after him and passed it on; English pants is the same word, clipped.
English relatives: pants, pantaloons
Learn it
In a sentence
- esEstos pantalones son demasiado largos.
- frCe pantalon est trop long.
- itQuesti pantaloni sono troppo lunghi.
- ptEssa calça está comprida demais.
- roPantalonii ăștia sunt prea lungi.
- caAquests pantalons són massa llargs.
- enThese trousers are too long.