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"corruption" in seven languages

Meaningcorruption

Spanish

corrupción

/korupˈθjon/

fem.learned

French

corruption

/kɔʁypsjɔ̃/

fem.learned

Italian

corruzione

/korrutˈtsjone/

fem.learned

Portuguese

corrupção

/kohupˈsɐ̃w/

fem.learned

Romanian

corupție

/koˈruptsie/

fem.learned

Catalan

corrupció

/kurupˈsjo/

fem.learned

English

corruption

/kəˈɹʌpʃən/

from Latin/French · Old French corruption, from Latin

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

The Latin ancestor

CORRUPTIŌNEM‘a spoiling, decay (CORRUMPERE 'to break up, ruin')’

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

The story

Learned everywhere, so the four words match almost letter for letter. The root RUMPERE 'to break' also gave inherited Spanish romper and Italian rompere.

English relatives: corrupt, rupture, interrupt, bankrupt

Sound laws at work

-TIŌNEM: learned -ción, inherited -zón

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In a sentence

  • esAcusaron al ministro de corrupción.
  • frLe ministre a été accusé de corruption.
  • itIl ministro è stato accusato di corruzione.
  • ptO ministro foi acusado de corrupção.
  • roMinistrul a fost acuzat de corupție.
  • caVan acusar el ministre de corrupció.
  • enThe minister was accused of corruption.

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