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"behavior" in seven languages

Meaningbehavior

Spanish

comportamiento

/komportaˈmjento/

masc.learned

French

comportement

/kɔ̃pɔʁtəmɑ̃/

masc.learned

Italian

comportamento

/komportaˈmento/

masc.learned

Portuguese

comportamento

/kõpohtaˈmẽtu/

masc.learned

Romanian

comportament

/komportaˈment/

neut.borrowed · French comportement

Catalan

comportament

/kumpuɾtəˈmen/

masc.learned

English

behavior

/bɪˈheɪvjɚ/

native English · behave (be- + have)

British spelling: behaviour.

English → ItalianbehaviorcomportamentoNot relatedDifferent sources — learn this one fresh. But English has relatives: comport, deportment, portable.What English and Italian share

The Latin ancestor

COMPORTĀRE‘to carry together, bring in’

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

The story

Behaving is 'carrying oneself': the sisters built the noun on the reflexive comportarse, se comporter, comportarsi. English 'behave' is native, literally to 'have' oneself in a certain way.

English relatives: comport, deportment, portable

Learn it

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In a sentence

  • esSu comportamiento fue extraño.
  • frSon comportement était bizarre.
  • itIl suo comportamento era strano.
  • ptO comportamento dele foi estranho.
  • roComportamentul lui a fost ciudat.
  • caEl seu comportament va ser estrany.
  • enHis behavior was strange.

More in Ideas

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