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"twin" in seven languages

Meaningtwin

Spanish

gemelo

/xeˈmelo/

masc.learned

Its inherited doublet is mellizo; in Spain gemelos are identical, mellizos fraternal.

French

jumeau

/ʒymo/

masc.inherited

plural: jumeaux

Italian

gemello

/dʒeˈmɛllo/

masc.inherited

Portuguese

gêmeo

/ˈʒemju/

masc.other source · Latin GEMINUM 'twin'

In Portugal spelled gémeo.

Romanian

geamăn

/ˈdʒamən/

masc.other source · Latin GEMINUM 'twin'

plural: gemeni

Catalan

bessó

/bəˈso/

masc.other source · of uncertain origin

English

twin

/twɪn/

native English · Old English twinn

English → ItaliantwingemelloNot relatedDifferent sources — learn this one fresh. But English has relatives: Gemini, geminate.What English and Italian share

The Latin ancestor

GEMELLUM‘twin (diminutive of GEMINUS)’

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

The story

French jumeau shows -ELLUM → -eau (Old French jumel, like château, beau). Spanish gemelo is learned, and its popular doublet mellizo lost the first syllable — a pair of words for twins that are themselves doublets.

English relatives: Gemini, geminate

Sound laws at work

Initial I- (J-) and G before E, IL before a consonant becomes u

Learn it

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In a sentence

  • esSon gemelos.
  • frIls sont jumeaux.
  • itSono gemelli.
  • ptEles são gêmeos.
  • roSunt gemeni.
  • caSón bessons.
  • enThey are twins.

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