"author" in seven languages

Meaningauthor

Spanish

autor

/awˈtoɾ/

masc.learned

French

auteur

/otœʁ/

masc.learned

Une auteure and une autrice are both used for a woman author.

Italian

autore

/auˈtore/

masc.learned

Portuguese

autor

/awˈtoh/

masc.learned

Romanian

autor

/awˈtor/

masc.learned

Catalan

autor

/əwˈtoɾ/

masc.learned

English

author

/ˈɔθɚ/

from Latin/French · Old French autor (Latin AUCTŌREM)

The th is a later learned spelling that ended up being pronounced.

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

The Latin ancestor

AUCTŌREM (nom. AUCTOR)‘originator, one who makes something grow (from AUGĒRE)’

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

AUCTOR was 'the one who makes things grow', which is why the same root gives authority. All four dropped the c of the Latin -ct-.

English relatives: authority, authorize