"computer" in seven languages
Meaningcomputer
Spanish
/oɾdenaˈdoɾ/
masc.borrowed · modelled on French ordinateur, built on Spanish ordenar
Peninsular only; Latin America says la computadora.
French
/ɔʁdinatœʁ/
masc.learned
Coined in 1955 by the Latinist Jacques Perret at IBM France's request.
Italian
/komˈpjuter/
masc.other source · English computer (from Latin COMPUTĀRE)
Portuguese
/kõputaˈdoh/
masc.other source · Latin COMPUTĀRE, modelled on English computer
Romanian
/kalkuˈlator/
neut.other source · Latin CALCULĀTOR 'reckoner' (via French calculateur)
Catalan
/uɾdinəˈdo/
masc.borrowed · modelled on French ordinateur, built on Catalan ordenar
English
/kəmˈpjutɚ/
other source · Latin computāre
The Latin ancestor
ORDINĀTŌREM‘one who sets in order’
All six sisters descend from it, unless marked otherwise below.
The story
French refused the English word and revived a Latin one meaning 'arranger'; Spain followed. Italian simply took computer — itself Latin COMPUTĀRE by way of English.
English relatives: order, ordinal, coordinate
Learn it
In a sentence
- esMi ordenador es muy lento.
- frMon ordinateur est très lent.
- itIl mio computer è molto lento.
- ptMeu computador está muito lento.
- roCalculatorul meu e foarte lent.
- caEl meu ordinador va molt lent.
- enMy computer is very slow.
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