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"circumstance" in seven languages

Meaningcircumstance

Spanish

circunstancia

/θiɾkunsˈtanθja/

fem.learned

French

circonstance

/siʁkɔ̃stɑ̃s/

fem.learned

Italian

circostanza

/tʃirkosˈtantsa/

fem.learned

Portuguese

circunstância

/siɾkũsˈtɐ̃siɐ/

fem.learned

Romanian

circumstanță

/tʃirkumˈstantsə/

fem.learned

Catalan

circumstància

/siɾkumsˈtansiə/

fem.learned

English

circumstance

/ˈsɝkəmstæns/

from Latin/French · Old French circonstance

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

The Latin ancestor

CIRCUMSTANTIAM‘a standing around, surroundings’

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

The story

Literally 'what stands around' an event. Italian drops the m of CIRCUM- before s, as in circospetto.

English relatives: circumstantial, circus, distance, instance

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In a sentence

  • esDepende de las circunstancias.
  • frÇa dépend des circonstances.
  • itDipende dalle circostanze.
  • ptDepende das circunstâncias.
  • roDepinde de circumstanțe.
  • caDepèn de les circumstàncies.
  • enIt depends on the circumstances.

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