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"complaint" in seven languages

Meaningcomplaint

Spanish

queja

/ˈkexa/

fem.other source · quejarse, from Vulgar Latin *QUASSIĀRE 'to shake, crush'

French

plainte

/plɛ̃t/

fem.inherited

Porter plainte is to file a police complaint; a customer complaint is une réclamation.

Italian

lamentela

/lamenˈtɛla/

fem.other source · lamentare, from Latin LĀMENTUM 'wailing'

Portuguese

reclamação

/heklamaˈsɐ̃w/

fem.other source · Latin RECLĀMĀTIŌNEM 'a crying out against' (learned)

Romanian

reclamație

/reklaˈmatsie/

fem.other source · French réclamation (from Latin RECLĀMĀRE 'to cry out against')

Plângere, from PLANGERE like French plainte, is the formal or legal complaint.

Catalan

queixa

/ˈkeʃə/

fem.other source · queixar-se, from Vulgar Latin *QUASSIĀRE 'to shake, crush'

English

complaint

/kəmˈpleɪnt/

from Latin/French · Old French complainte

English → ItaliancomplaintlamentelaNot relatedDifferent sources — learn this one fresh. But English has relatives: plaintiff, plaintive, complain.What English and Italian share

The Latin ancestor

*PLANCTAM‘lament, beating of the breast (PLANGERE)’

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

The story

To complain was first to beat one's breast in mourning (PLANGERE): French plainte and English complaint, plaintiff keep it. Spanish queja and Italian lamentela come from shaking and wailing.

English relatives: plaintiff, plaintive, complain

Sound laws at work

French vowel + nasal becomes a nasal vowel

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In a sentence

  • esPusimos una queja por el ruido.
  • frNous avons fait une réclamation pour le bruit.
  • itAbbiamo fatto una lamentela per il rumore.
  • ptFizemos uma reclamação por causa do barulho.
  • roAm făcut o reclamație din cauza zgomotului.
  • caVam posar una queixa pel soroll.
  • enWe made a complaint about the noise.

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