"cathedral" in seven languages
Meaningcathedral
Spanish
catedral
/kateˈdɾal/
fem.learned
French
cathédrale
/katedʁal/
fem.learned
Italian
cattedrale
/katteˈdrale/
fem.learned
Also il duomo, from DOMUS 'house (of God)'.
Portuguese
catedral
/kateˈdɾaw/
fem.learned
Romanian
catedrală
/kateˈdralə/
fem.borrowed · French cathédrale
Catalan
catedral
/kətəˈdɾal/
fem.learned
English
cathedral
/kəˈθidɹəl/
from Latin/French · Medieval Latin (ecclēsia) cathedrālis, via Old French
English → ItaliancathedralcattedraleCognateSame source — inherited, learned or borrowed. You can recognize it.What English and Italian share
The Latin ancestor
CATHEDRĀLEM (ECCLĒSIAM)‘(church) of the bishop's chair (from Greek kathédra)’
All six sisters descend from it, unless marked otherwise below.
The story
A cathedral is simply the church that holds the bishop's chair, the kathédra — the same word that became French chaise. Italian cities more often say il duomo.
English relatives: cathedral, chair, ex cathedra
Learn it
In a sentence
- esLa catedral está en el casco antiguo.
- frLa cathédrale est dans la vieille ville.
- itLa cattedrale è nel centro storico.
- ptA catedral fica no centro histórico.
- roCatedrala este în centrul vechi.
- caLa catedral és al barri antic.
- enThe cathedral is in the old town.
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