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"army" in seven languages

Meaningarmy

Spanish

ejército

/eˈxeɾθito/

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Careful: armada is the navy.

French

armée

/aʁme/

fem.other source · Old French armee 'armed (force)', from armer (Latin ARMĀRE)

Italian

esercito

/eˈzɛrtʃito/

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Portuguese

exército

/eˈzɛɾsitu/

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Romanian

armată

/arˈmatə/

fem.other source · Italian armata (Latin ARMĀTA 'armed (force)')

Catalan

exèrcit

/əˈzɛrsit/

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English

army

/ˈɑɹmi/

other source · Old French armee, from armer (Latin ARMĀRE)

English → ItalianarmyesercitoNot relatedDifferent sources — learn this one fresh. But English has relatives: exercise, exert.What English and Italian share

The Latin ancestor

EXERCITUM‘a trained force (EXERCĒRE 'to train, exercise')’

All six sisters descend from it, unless marked otherwise below.

The story

Spanish and Italian took the Roman word for a drilled army, related to exercise. French and English say 'the armed one' — and Spanish armada, the same formation, ended up meaning the navy.

English relatives: exercise, exert

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In a sentence

  • esSirvió en el ejército dos años.
  • frIl a servi deux ans dans l'armée.
  • itHa prestato servizio nell'esercito per due anni.
  • ptEle serviu no exército por dois anos.
  • roA făcut armata doi ani.
  • caVa servir dos anys a l'exèrcit.
  • enHe served in the army for two years.

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