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"cheap" in seven languages

Meaningcheap

Spanish

barato

/baˈɾato/

other source · baratar 'to barter' (origin uncertain)

French

bon marché

/bɔ̃ maʁʃe/

inherited

Invariable; pas cher is just as common.

Italian

a buon mercato

/a bwɔn merˈkato/

inherited

Economico is just as common.

Portuguese

barato

/baˈɾatu/

other source · baratar 'to barter' (origin uncertain)

Romanian

ieftin

/ˈjeftin/

other source · Greek eftinós 'cheap'

Catalan

barat

/bəˈɾat/

other source · baratar 'to barter' (origin uncertain)

English

cheap

/tʃip/

native English · Old English cēap 'trade, bargain'

Short for Middle English good cheap 'a good bargain', the same idea as French bon marché.

English → Italiancheapa buon mercatoNot relatedDifferent sources — learn this one fresh. But English has relatives: market, merchant, commerce.What English and Italian share

The Latin ancestor

BONUM MERCĀTUM‘a good market, a good deal’

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

The story

French and Italian say 'at a good market', and French shows its CA → cha in marché. English cheap began the same way, as good cheap 'a good bargain'.

English relatives: market, merchant, commerce

Sound laws at work

French CA becomes chaStressed short O breaks into ue / uo / eu

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In a sentence

  • esEste restaurante es barato.
  • frCe restaurant est bon marché.
  • itQuesto ristorante è economico.
  • ptEste restaurante é barato.
  • roRestaurantul ăsta e ieftin.
  • caAquest restaurant és barat.
  • enThis restaurant is cheap.

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