nós

Nós is a Portuguese word with several related meanings, and its interpretation depends on context. It is most commonly used as the first-person plural pronoun meaning “we,” functioning as the subject of a sentence (Nós vamos sair agora). The same spelling, with the expected accent on the o, can also appear as a noun in the plural to mean knots (nós) as the plural of nó (knot). In this noun sense, the word can also be used in phrases such as “desatar os nós” (to untie the knots).

As a technical term, nó-nó is used in computing and networking to mean a node in a graph or network. In Portuguese, the standard term for a node is “nó,” with its plural “nós” when referring to multiple nodes (os nós da rede). This usage is common in computer science, telecommunications, and graph theory, and it often appears in technical literature and manuals.

Etymology reflects the two primary origins. The pronoun nós derives from the Latin nos, historically meaning “us,” through its development in the Romance languages. The noun nó (knot) comes from Latin nodus, meaning a tangle or knot. In Galician and other related languages, nó/nós appear with similar meanings, contributing to cross-language consistency in the Iberian Romance family.

In summary,óis Portuguese “nós” functions as the pronoun “we,” and as a plural noun for “knot” or “node,” with usage that spans everyday language and technical domains. The intended meaning is determined entirely by context.