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"charity (giving to those in need)" in seven languages

Meaningcharity (giving to those in need)

Spanish

caridad

/kaɾiˈdad/

fem.inherited

A charity organization is una organización benéfica.

French

charité

/ʃaʁite/

fem.inherited

Italian

carità

/kariˈta/

fem.inherited

Per carità! 'for heaven's sake!' is everyday Italian.

Portuguese

caridade

/kaɾiˈdadʒi/

fem.inherited

Romanian

caritate

/kariˈtate/

fem.learned

Catalan

caritat

/kəɾiˈtat/

fem.learned

The intervocalic t kept intact betrays a church word; inherited -T- became d in Catalan.

English

charity

/ˈtʃɛɹəti/

from Latin/French · Old French charité

English → Italiancharity (giving to those in need)caritàCognateSame source — inherited, learned or borrowed. You can recognize it.What English and Italian share

The Latin ancestor

CĀRITĀTEM‘dearness, love’

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

The story

From CĀRUS 'dear': charity is holding others dear. French turned ca- into cha- (as in cher 'dear'), and English took the French shape.

English relatives: charitable, cherish, caress

Sound laws at work

French CA becomes cha-TĀTEM: -dad, -té, -tàVoiceless stops between vowels soften

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In a sentence

  • esViven de la caridad.
  • frIls vivent de la charité.
  • itVivono di carità.
  • ptEles vivem de caridade.
  • roTrăiesc din caritate.
  • caViuen de la caritat.
  • enThey live on charity.

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