"aunt" in seven languages
Meaningaunt
Spanish
tía
/ˈtia/
fem.inherited
French
tante
/tɑ̃t/
fem.other source · Old French ante, from Latin AMITAM 'father's sister'
Italian
zia
/ˈtsia/
fem.inherited
Portuguese
tia
/ˈtʃiɐ/
fem.inherited
Romanian
mătușă
/məˈtuʃə/
fem.other source · of disputed origin (perhaps Latin AMITAM 'father's sister' + a suffix)
Catalan
tia
/ˈtiə/
fem.inherited
Paired, oddly, with oncle for the uncle; colloquially tieta.
English
aunt
/ænt/
other source · Old French ante (Latin AMITAM)
English → ItalianauntziaNot relatedDifferent sources — learn this one fresh. But English has relatives: aunt (fr).What English and Italian share
The Latin ancestor
THĪAM‘aunt (Late Latin, from Greek theía)’
All six sisters descend from it, unless marked otherwise below.
The story
French tante is Latin AMITA worn down to ante, with a t- in front that most likely comes from child talk; English aunt took the older ante.
English relatives: aunt (fr)
Learn it
In a sentence
- esMi tía es enfermera.
- frMa tante est infirmière.
- itMia zia è infermiera.
- ptMinha tia é enfermeira.
- roMătușa mea e asistentă.
- caLa meva tia és infermera.
- enMy aunt is a nurse.