"big, large" in seven languages

Meaningbig, large

Spanish

grande

/ˈgɾande/

inherited

Shortens to gran before a singular noun: un gran día.

French

grand

/gʁɑ̃/

inherited

Also 'tall' for people: il est grand.

Italian

grande

/ˈgrande/

inherited

Also shortens: un gran giorno.

Portuguese

grande

/ˈgɾɐ̃dʒi/

inherited

Romanian

mare

/ˈmare/

other source · Latin MĀREM 'male'

Same form for both genders: un oraș mare, o casă mare.

Catalan

gran

/gran/

inherited

Catalan drops final -d after n and the final vowel: GRANDEM → gran.

English

big

/bɪɡ/

native English · Middle English big, of uncertain (probably Scandinavian) origin

English → Italianbig, largegrandeNot relatedDifferent sources — learn this one fresh. But English has relatives: grand, grandeur, aggrandize.What English and Italian share

The Latin ancestor

GRANDEM‘full-grown, large’

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

The story

Latin's everyday 'big', MAGNUS, died out in speech; GRANDIS 'full-grown' replaced it everywhere. French dropped the final vowel and nasalized the rest.

English relatives: grand, grandeur, aggrandize

Sound laws at work

French vowel + nasal becomes a nasal vowel Final vowels

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In a sentence

esTienen una casa grande.
frIls ont une grande maison.
itHanno una casa grande.
ptEles têm uma casa grande.
roAu o casă mare.
caTenen una casa gran.
enThey have a big house.

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