distinguez

Distinguez is the second-person plural imperative form of the French verb distinguer, meaning to distinguish or to tell apart. It is used to issue a command or instruction to multiple people, or to a single person addressed formally (vous). The imperative form Distinguez is identical in spelling to the present indicative vous form, vous distinguez, with mood usually inferred from context and punctuation.

Etymology and meaning: Distinguish derives from the Latin distinguere, formed from the prefix dis- meaning apart and a root meaning to separate or discern. Over time, this evolved into the French distinguer, whose imperative for vous is Distinguez.

Usage and examples: Distinguez is common in instructional, formal, or directive writing. It takes a direct object and is used to instruct readers or listeners to separate or identify elements clearly. Examples include: Distinguez les faits des hypothèses. Distinguez les couleurs primaires des couleurs secondaires. The tone is analytic and prescriptive, rather than casual.

Variants and related forms: The informal singular command is Distingue. The verb’s past participle is distingué and its present participle distinguant. Related nouns include distinction and distinguabilité in broader discussions of categorization. Distinguez should be distinguished from the adjective distingué, which means "distinguished" in a different sense.

See also: distinguer, distinction, distingué.