parallel

/ˈpeɹəˌlel/PEH-ruh-lel
/ˈpɛɹəˌlɛl/PEH-ruh-lel

Meaningbeside one another

Common meaning: side by side at an even distance

‘beside’ + ‘other, different’ → parallel

Journey through time

  1. Greekἄλλος‘other, different’
  2. Latinparallelus
  3. Old Frenchparallelesource
  4. Englishparallel‘side by side at an even distance’ · today

par- also in: parodyparoxysm

all also in: allegory

Sources & notes

Meaning: “Meaning” is the sense that emerges from the word’s roots; “Common meaning” is today’s everyday sense. Both written by us.

Pronunciation

  • UK IPA: converted from the US form by rule (unchecked). Respelling: generated.
  • No UK recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-GB voice.
  • US IPA: CMUdict (BSD-2), converted to IPA by rule. Respelling: generated.
  • No US recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-US voice.

Origin: Built on Greek ἄλλος ‘other, different’.

Roots

Related words

allegory

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