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"central" in seven languages

Meaningcentral

Spanish

central

/θenˈtɾal/

learned

For a well-located hotel or flat, Spanish says céntrico, not central.

French

central

/sɑ̃tʁal/

learned

fem.: centrale

Italian

centrale

/tʃenˈtrale/

learned

Portuguese

central

/sẽˈtɾaw/

learned

Romanian

central

/tʃenˈtral/

learned

Catalan

central

/sənˈtɾal/

learned

English

central

/ˈsɛntɹəl/

from Latin/French · French central / Latin CENTRĀLIS

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

The Latin ancestor

CENTRĀLEM‘of the centre (CENTRUM, from Greek kéntron 'sharp point')’

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

The story

Greek kéntron was the point of the compass that stays put while the other leg draws the circle. One spelling, three soft c's: Spanish θ, French s, Italian tʃ.

English relatives: centre, central, concentrate, eccentric

Sound laws at work

C before E and I

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In a sentence

  • esLa estación central está cerrada.
  • frLa gare centrale est fermée.
  • itLa stazione centrale è chiusa.
  • ptA estação central está fechada.
  • roGara centrală este închisă.
  • caL'estació central és tancada.
  • enThe central station is closed.

More in Describing words

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