# way / away



## Red Arrow

In Standard Dutch, "way" and "away" are both simply *weg*.

In my mother's Belgian dialect, way is *weg*, away is *eweg*. (first e sounds like a schwa, just like the English a)

Is there a connection between these two words in other languages?


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## bibax

German (no surprise):
der *Weg* = way;
*weg* = away;


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## TheCrociato91

Italian:
- _way_ = _via_ (but it's not the only translation; there are actually quite a few depending on the context; see here);
- _away_ = _via _(main translation but there could be a couple more options depending on the context; may vary especially when it appears in phrasal verbs; see here).


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## Sardokan1.0

In Italian there is a single word for both.

*Via* = way, road, street
*Via *= away

Andare via = to go away


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## Dymn

I'd even say it's a weird question to just ask how to say "away" in *Catalan *because we don't have such a word and it depends on context.

not at home, like on a trip or out of town - _fora _("out, outside")
in another direction - no adverb possible, just various options
_"go away!"_ _- ves-te'n!_ (form of _anar-se'n_, _anar _= "to go")_, fora!_
_"to take away"_ (as in _"to remove"_) _- __llevar, treure_
_"to take away" _(e.g. food) _- emportar-se, endur-se_ (_portar, dur _= "to carry, bring")
"to send away" (e.g. a customer for misbehaviour) - _fer fora _("to do out"),_ despatxar_
"to run away" - _fugir, córrer lluny_ ("to run far")

So in short there are no simple translations. But if you want to know some metaphorical usages of _via_ and its derivatives:

_fer via_ - "to hurry up"
_aviar _- "to send off", like to get rid of someone's presence in an abrupt and impertinent manner
_aviat _- "soon" (in Majorca "quickly")

So I'd say _via _in Catalan takes a connotation of hastiness rather than "towards afar" as in Germanic languages.


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## Red Arrow

Same in French. "away" is not a separate word.

In Swedish there is:
way = väg
away = iväg


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## Sardokan1.0

The same situation of Catalan is present also in *Sardinian*, we don't have a translation for "way" or "away".


*"go away!"* _- northern Sardinian : *baedícche *(literally in Latin "vade tibi hicce" = go yourself from here) - southern Sardinian : *baidíndi *(literally "vade tibi inde" = go yourself from here)_
_*"get out of the way!* - *essidícche! *or *essidínde!* (literally "exi tibi hicce" or "exi tibi inde" - exit yourself from here)_
*"to take away"* (as in _"to remove"_) _- *bogare *(from Latin "vocare" - to call, to distract, to attract)_
_*"to take away"* _(e.g. food) _- *levare *or *leare *(from Latin "levare" - to take); *jùghere *= to bring with yourself (from Latin "ducere" - to lead, or from "Jungere" - to join)_

*"to send away"* (e.g. a customer for misbehaviour) - _*dispacciare / jagarare* (verb derived from "jàgaru" - hunting dog)_
*"to run away"* - ("to run far") - *si che fuire* (literally "sibi hicce fugire" - to run away himself from here)
_*"to go away"* - *si ch'andare*_

_*"to go away in a hurry"* - *si l'avviare*_
_Examples :_


Spoiler



_1) go away! go out! -> *baedícche a fora!*
2) get out of the way! -> *essidícche /essidínde dae mesu!*
3) remove your car from my door! ->* bògande sa macchina dae sa janna!*
4) I take away the dish with me ->* mi che levo/leo/jutto su piattu cun megus.*
5) I've sent them away ->* che los happo dispacciados / jagarados*
6) the prisoners ran away from prison ->* sos presoneris si che sun fuidos dae presone*
7) I went away ->* mi che so andadu*
8) I went away in a hurry ->* mi l'happo avviada in presse*_





*P.S.*
_A cognate of the Latin / Italian "Via" is present in Sardinian as *"Bia"*, but the meaning is slightly different. Bia literally means way, street, road, but it's almost never used, it's replaced by *"Carrela or Carrera"* (street, road); instead it's used in composite expressions :_

_*essere in bia* = to be on the way_
_*pònere in bia* = to put in disorder_
_
Examples :_


Spoiler




_*so in bia pro recuìre an domo* = I'm on the way to return home_
_*sos pitzinnos nos han postu sa domo in bia* = the children have put (to us) the house in disorder_


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## apmoy70

Greek:

Way: *«Οδός»* [ɔˈðɔ.s] (fem.) < Classical fem. *«ὁδός» hŏdós*
Eg. «Ἐγώ εἰμι ἡ ὁδὸς καὶ ἡ ἀλήθεια καὶ ἡ ζωή» -  "I am the way, the truth and the life" (John 14:6 NKJV)

Away: *«Μακριά»* [ma.kriˈa] (adv.) & learned *«μακρά»* [maˈkra] (adv.) < Byz. Gr. adv. *«μακρέα» makréa* («μακριά» with synizesis) which is the adverbialization of the neut. nom. pl. *«μακρά» măkrắ* of the adj. *«μακρός, -ά, -όν» măkrós* (masc.), *măkrā́* (fem.), *măkrón* (neut.) --> _long, great, high, deep, tall, far, lengthy_ (PIE *meh₂ḱ- _long, thin, tall_ cf Lat. macer, Proto-Germanic *magraz > Ger./Dt./Nor/D./Swe. mager, Eng. meager).

So, no connection between the two.


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## Perseas

bibax said:


> German (no surprise):
> der *Weg* = way;



In both English and German, "way" means among others "manner", "direction", "route".
way - Wörterbuch Englisch-Deutsch - WordReference.com

In Greek "οδός" figuratively also means "manner" or "method":
For example in this phrase: διά της διπλωματικής οδού (by diplomatic means).


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## Frank78

bibax said:


> German (no surprise):
> der *Weg* = way;
> *weg* = away;



But the vowel length differs, "der Weg" has a long e and "weg" a short one.


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## bibax

IMO there is no connection between the words 'way' and 'away' in the Slavic languages. The etymology of the Slavic adverb *pryč, preč, precz, прочь* /proč'/, etc. (= away) is not clear.

Example:
Руки *прочь* от (Кореи, Кубы, ...)!
Ruce *pryč* od ...!
Ręce *precz* od ...!
Ruky *preč* od ...!
...
= Hände *weg* von (Korea, Kuba, ...)!

The German adverb *pritsch* (= away) is a loanword from Slavic.


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## eno2

apmoy70 said:


> Greek:
> Away: *«Μακριά»* .


Isn't Μακριά = far away?
---

Spanish:

away = fuera! (can be said to a cat, dog, person: 'leave!')

[to be away (from home) estar fuera ⧫ estar ausente
she’s away today hoy está fuera
he’s away for a week está fuera una semana
Collins]

The way = el camino


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## Armas

No connection in Finnish:

way = *tie*
away = *pois*, related to _poiketa_ "to diverge" and _poikki_ "(something elongated) cut/broken" and "across"


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## ThomasK

TheCrociato91 said:


> Italian:
> - _way_ = _via_ (but it's not the only translation; there are actually quite a few depending on the context; see here);
> - _away_ = _via _(main translation but there could be a couple more options depending on the context; may vary especially when it appears in phrasal verbs; see here).


How about "fuori"? Is that only "outside"?

Of course in a lot of languages there are no prefixes or particles (…), as in English (go away), Dutch/ German (weggaan/ -gehen). French has lexical words: go in, entrer; go out, sortir, etc. I think in the latter languages it is impossible to point out the semantic resemblance (out, away for example), although in Latin-based words you still notice the remainders: _ex-port, im-port_, etc. But that is no longer productive, I think.


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## TheCrociato91

ThomasK said:


> How about "fuori"? Is that only "outside"?


I'd say it's _mostly_ "out" or "outside". It could be possibly interpreted as meaning "away" if you say it as an exclamation: "fuori!" (literally: "out!" but also implying: "leave!").


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## ThomasK

But you cannot combine it with a verb really, or can you? Not something like *_gettare fuori_, except literally perhaps (I find mainly  _buttare_ and_ gettare via_)...


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## Sardokan1.0

ThomasK said:


> But you cannot combine it with a verb really, or can you? Not something like *_gettare fuori_, except literally perhaps (I find mainly  _buttare_ and_ gettare via_)...



Yes you can combine it. Also as synonymous of "away".

Marco *è via* per lavoro = Marco *è fuori* per lavoro


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## AndrasBP

In Hungarian, "way" and "away" are not related:

*út* = way, road
*el-* (verbal prefix) = away

megy = go
elmegy = go away
fut = run
elfut = run away


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## ThomasK

Sardokan1.0 said:


> Yes you can combine it. Also as synonymous of "away".
> 
> Marco *è via* per lavoro = Marco *è fuori* per lavoro


Thanks. But of course "é/ essere" is not a verb of action; I wonder whether you could do that with a verb of action...


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## TheCrociato91

ThomasK said:


> But you cannot combine it with a verb really, or can you? Not something like *_gettare fuori_, except literally perhaps (I find mainly _buttare_ and_ gettare via_)...


You can indeed combine "fuori" with verbs of action. "Buttare fuori" (where the meaning of "buttare" is similar to that of "gettare") means "to kick out" or "send off" (as in football / soccer), for example.

Edit: or were you asking whether or not you can combine "via" with verbs of action? Either way, you can.


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## Ífaradà

In Norwegian:

way = *veg/vei*
away =* borte
*
In Yoruba:

way = *ọ̀nà *
away = *kúrò*


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## nimak

*Macedonian:*

There is no connection between the two. Also, the word "way" has several meanings in Macedonian.

way = *пат *[pat], _meaning: road, path_
way = *насока *[nasoka] or *правец* [pravec], _meaning: direction, heading_
way = *начин *[način], _meaning: manner, method_
away = *далеку *[daleku]; *подалеку* [podaleku]


I think it is similar in all Slavic languages, like in:

*Russian:*

way = *путь *[put'], _meaning: road, path_
way = *способ *[sposob], _meaning: manner, method_
away = *далеко* [daleko]; *подальше* [podal'she]


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## ThomasK

I'd like to hear a little bit more about the precise structure of *далеку/ далеко *(and of *подальше*)… Is that an adverb, or an adverb based on a noun? Google T tells me that they mean 'far' and 'far away', but is Google T right. It does seem plausible: "away!" implies indeed: "Get far from me!"



Perseas said:


> In both English and German, "way" means among others "manner", "direction", "route".
> way - Wörterbuch Englisch-Deutsch - WordReference.com


I have my doubts about the use of the German *Weg *in this sense. I am not a native speaker, but I cannot see _Weg_ being used as "method"... In German "Art und Weise" could be used, I believe, not "Weg". It is still less the case in Dutch: "way" is more like "road" in the most general sense, not "manner"... Way of life: _levensstijl_ (style), _manier (wijze?) van leven, … _

_


Red Arrow said:



			In my mother's Belgian dialect, way is *weg*, away is *eweg*. (first e sounds like a schwa, just like the English a)
		
Click to expand...

 _Is that a West Flemish dialect, Red Arrow?


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## Red Arrow

ThomasK said:


> Is that a West Flemish dialect, Red Arrow?


No, Brabantian. (Lubbeek)


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## ThomasK

I see… I know something like* "(kwaad)geweg"* (in an angry way), but that might be something different than what you are referrring to. '-geweg" must be something like "wise", not "away"...


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## Red Arrow

For instance:
Ik zen eweg. = "I am away." = I am leaving.
Oep de weg. = On the way.


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## ThomasK

Really? I know the second use of weg, but not the first...


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## bibax

ThomasK said:


> I'd like to hear a little bit more about the precise structure of *далеку/ далеко *(and of *подальше*)… Is that an adverb, or an adverb based on a noun? Google T tells me that they mean 'far' and 'far away', but is Google T right. It does seem plausible: "away!" implies indeed: "Get far from me!"


Russian adv. *далеко* /daleko/ means *far (away), a long (a)way  from* (like in Czech: adv. daleko < adj. далёкий, daleký = distant, far(away), remote);

*away* in the sense "Hände *weg* von ...!", "Hands off ...!":
Руки *прочь* /proč/ от ...!
Ruce *pryč* od ...!


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## nimak

@ThomasK @bibax

Hi! Well, I only know some basic Russian, and I forgot about *прочь* [proč]. In Macedonian there is no such a word.

From what I know in Russian _adverbs_ *далеко* [daleko] and *подальше* [podal'še] mean: far; away; far away, long away...

Samples:

_English_: Stay *away* from me!
_Russian_: Держись от меня *подальше*! [Deržis' ot menja *podal'še*!]
_Macedonian_: Држи се *подалеку *од мене! [Drži se *podaleku* od mene!]
_               or_ Стој *подалеку *од мене! [Stoj *podaleku* od mene!]

_English_: It is *far away*.
_Russian_: Это *далеко*. [Eto *daleko*.]
_Macedonian_: *Далеку* е. [*Daleku *e.]
               or Тоа е *далеку*. [Toa e *daleku*.]

I would let people who know Russian to explain it better.


Talking about *way *and *away *I recalled another example in *Macedonian*.
There are two words _noun_ *страна *[strana] (_literal meaning_: side) and _adverb_ *настрана* [nastrana] (_meaning_: aside, away, not close to...) which can be used in this meaning:

_English_: You are going the wrong way!
_Macedonian_: Одите во погрешна страна! [Odite vo pogrešna strana!] _or more common:_ Одите во погрешен правец! [Odite vo pogrešen pravec!]

_English_: Stay away from me!
_Macedonian_: Стој настрана од мене! [Stoj nastrana od mene!]


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## ThomasK

/(na)strana/ seems like an interesting addition to this list indeed!


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## Perseas

ThomasK said:


> I have my doubts about the use of the German *Weg *in this sense. I am not a native speaker, but I cannot see _Weg_ being used as "method"... In German "Art und Weise" could be used, I believe, not "Weg".


"Weg" is not as common in this sense as in English (you're right), but it's used sometimes. I'm referring to this:

4.⟨etw. auf legalem Wege, Weg tun⟩ etw. auf legale Art und Weise, durch legales Vorgehen tun
Beispiele:
auf gesetzlichem Wege vorgehen
einen diplomatischen Zwischenfall auf friedlichem Wege beilegen.
DWDS – Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache


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## ThomasK

You're right: I had not thought of that. Personally I could consider that a figurative use of "Weg", though indeed it is some kind of method, procedure...


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## διαφορετικός

Red Arrow said:


> In my mother's Belgian dialect, way is *weg*, away is *eweg*. (first e sounds like a schwa, just like the English a)


In many Swiss German dialects, there is a similar relationship between the two words:
"Wäg" = way
"ewägg" or "wägg" = away


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