"twice" in seven languages
Meaningtwice
Spanish
/dos ˈbeθes/
inherited
Una vez 'once', a veces 'sometimes'.
French
/dø fwa/
inherited
Une fois 'once'; fois comes from the plural VICĒS.
Italian
/ˈdue ˈvɔlte/
other source · volta 'a turn', from Vulgar Latin *VOLVITA (VOLVERE 'to turn')
Una volta 'once'.
Portuguese
/ˈduɐz ˈvezis/
inherited
Romanian
/de ˈdowə orʲ/
other source · oară 'time' ← Latin HŌRAM 'hour'
Catalan
/ˈduəz bəˈɡadəs/
inherited
Vegada comes from a Vulgar Latin derivative of VICEM.
English
/twaɪs/
native English · Old English twiga
The Latin ancestor
VICEM‘turn, change, place’
All six sisters descend from it, unless marked otherwise below.
The story
Spanish and French count times as 'turns' (VICEM → vez, fois). Italian also counts turns, with another word, volta; the Latin one survives in invece 'instead' (IN VICEM, 'in place of').
English relatives: vice-president, vicar, vicissitude
Learn it
In a sentence
- esHe estado en Roma dos veces.
- frJe suis allé deux fois à Rome.
- itSono stato a Roma due volte.
- ptJá fui a Roma duas vezes.
- roAm fost la Roma de două ori.
- caHe estat a Roma dues vegades.
- enI've been to Rome twice.