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"attempt" in seven languages

Meaningattempt

Spanish

intento

/inˈtento/

masc.other source · Spanish intentar, from Latin INTENTĀRE 'to stretch toward'

French

tentative

/tɑ̃tativ/

fem.learned

Italian

tentativo

/tentaˈtivo/

masc.learned

Portuguese

tentativa

/tẽtaˈtʃivɐ/

fem.learned

Romanian

încercare

/ɨntʃerˈkare/

fem.other source · încerca ← Latin CIRCĀRE 'to go around'

Catalan

intent

/inˈten/

masc.other source · intentar ← Latin INTENTĀRE 'to stretch toward'

English

attempt

/əˈtɛmpt/

from Latin/French · Old French atempter, from Latin attemptāre

English → ItalianattempttentativoCognateSame source — inherited, learned or borrowed. You can recognize it.What English and Italian share

The Latin ancestor

TEMPTĀRE (also TENTĀRE)‘to feel, test, try’

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

The story

TEMPTĀRE meant to feel your way, to test; English split it into tempt and attempt. Watch out: French tentative is a noun, 'an attempt', not the English adjective tentative.

English relatives: tempt, temptation, tentative

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In a sentence

  • esEra su tercer intento.
  • frC'était sa troisième tentative.
  • itEra il suo terzo tentativo.
  • ptEra a terceira tentativa dele.
  • roEra a treia lui încercare.
  • caEra el seu tercer intent.
  • enIt was his third attempt.

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