"ant" in seven languages
Meaningant
Spanish
hormiga
/oɾˈmiga/
fem.inherited
French
fourmi
/fuʁmi/
fem.inherited
Italian
formica
/forˈmika/
fem.inherited
Portuguese
formiga
/fohˈmigɐ/
fem.inherited
Romanian
furnică
/furˈnikə/
fem.inherited
Catalan
formiga
/furˈmigə/
fem.inherited
English
ant
/ænt/
native English · Old English ǣmette
English → ItalianantformicaNot relatedDifferent sources — learn this one fresh. But English has relatives: formic acid (first distilled from ants).What English and Italian share
The Latin ancestor
FORMĪCAM‘ant’
All six sisters descend from it, unless marked otherwise below.
The story
Spanish shows two laws at once: F- became a silent h, and the intervocalic c softened to g. Italian keeps both untouched.
English relatives: formic acid (first distilled from ants)
Sound laws at work
Learn it
In a sentence
- esLas hormigas llevan migas.
- frLes fourmis transportent des miettes.
- itLe formiche portano le briciole.
- ptAs formigas estão carregando migalhas.
- roFurnicile cară firimituri.
- caLes formigues porten molles.
- enThe ants are carrying crumbs.