metade

Metade is the Portuguese noun meaning half, one of two equal parts of a whole. It is used in mathematics, measurements, and everyday language to denote fifty percent of a quantity or the portion that completes a division into two equal parts.

Etymology and scope: The term derives from Latin medietas, meaning the middle or half, and entered Portuguese through the medieval period. It can refer to a portion of anything that can be divided into two congruent parts, such as time, space, or amount.

Usage and examples: In mathematics and counting, metade de a number is its half; for example, metade de 50 is 25. The expression metade do tempo means half of the time, while metade das pessoas refers to half of the people in a group. Metade is often used with definite articles or possessives, as in a metade da pizza or a metade do custo. It can also describe proportions in statistics or everyday budgeting.

Nuances and related terms: Metade emphasizes a two-part division into equal parts. A related term is meio, which can indicate the middle or midpoint in broader contexts, but meio is less strictly tied to a precise half. In other Romance languages, similar concepts exist with distinct words (for example, Spanish uses mitad).

See also: meio, mitad, demi, half (in English-language discussions of the concept). In Portuguese usage, metade remains the standard term for describing a single half of a whole.