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"blackboard" in seven languages

Meaningblackboard

Spanish

pizarra

/piˈθara/

fem.other source · Spanish pizarra 'slate', of uncertain (perhaps Basque) origin

French

tableau

/tablo/

masc.other source · French table, from Latin TABULAM 'plank, board'

plural: tableaux

Italian

lavagna

/laˈvaɲɲa/

fem.other source · Lavagna, a town in Liguria famous for its slate quarries

Portuguese

quadro

/ˈkwadɾu/

masc.other source · Latin QUADRUM 'square'

Lousa is also common in Brazil.

Romanian

tablă

/ˈtablə/

fem.other source · Latin TABULAM 'plank, board'

Catalan

pissarra

/piˈsarə/

fem.other source · Spanish pizarra 'slate', of uncertain origin

English

blackboard

/ˈblækbɔɹd/

native English · black + board (Old English)

English → ItalianblackboardlavagnaNot relatedDifferent sources — learn this one fresh.What English and Italian share

The story

Three unrelated words: Spanish names the stone, French the board, Italian the town where the slate was quarried.

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In a sentence

  • esEscríbelo en la pizarra.
  • frÉcris-le au tableau.
  • itScrivilo alla lavagna.
  • ptEscreva no quadro.
  • roScrie pe tablă.
  • caEscriu-ho a la pissarra.
  • enWrite it on the board.

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