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"blond, fair" in seven languages

Meaningblond, fair

Spanish

rubio

/ˈrubjo/

other source · Latin RUBEUM 'reddish'

French

blond

/blɔ̃/

inherited

fem.: blonde

Italian

biondo

/ˈbjondo/

borrowed · Old French blond

Portuguese

loiro

/ˈlojɾu/

other source · of disputed origin (often traced to Latin LAURUM 'laurel')

Louro is the older spelling, still usual in Portugal.

Romanian

blond

/blond/

borrowed · French blond

Catalan

ros

/rɔs/

other source · Latin RUSSUM 'red'

Catalan 'blond' is Latin 'red' — the word that gave Italian rosso.

English

blond

/blɑnd/

from Latin/French · French blond

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

The Latin ancestor

*BLUNDUM (Late Latin, probably Germanic; disputed)‘fair-haired’

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

The story

Spanish 'blond' is Latin for 'reddish' — the same RUBEUS that gave French rouge. French blond, of uncertain (probably Germanic) origin, spread to Italian and English.

English relatives: blond (from French)

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In a sentence

  • esSu hijo es rubio.
  • frSon fils est blond.
  • itSuo figlio è biondo.
  • ptO filho dela é loiro.
  • roFiul ei e blond.
  • caEl seu fill és ros.
  • enHer son is blond.

More in Colors

All Colors words