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"council (governing body)" in seven languages

Meaningcouncil (governing body)

Spanish

consejo

/konˈsexo/

masc.inherited

Also 'advice': un buen consejo.

French

conseil

/kɔ̃sɛj/

masc.inherited

Also 'advice'; the town council is le conseil municipal.

Italian

consiglio

/konˈsiʎʎo/

masc.inherited

Also 'advice'; il Consiglio dei ministri is the cabinet.

Portuguese

conselho

/kõˈseʎu/

masc.inherited

A Brazilian town council is the Câmara Municipal.

Romanian

consiliu

/konˈsiliu/

neut.learned

Catalan

consell

/kunˈseʎ/

masc.inherited

English

council

/ˈkaʊnsəl/

other source · Anglo-Norman cuncile, from Latin CONCILIUM 'assembly'

Council is CONCILIUM; its homophone counsel is the CONSILIUM word.

English → Italiancouncil (governing body)consiglioNot relatedDifferent sources — learn this one fresh. But English has relatives: counsel, counselor, consult.What English and Italian share

The Latin ancestor

CONSILIUM‘deliberation, advice; a council’

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

The story

CONSILIUM meant both the advice and the body that gives it, and the sisters still use one word for both. The LI cluster gives Spanish j, French il, Italian gli.

English relatives: counsel, counselor, consult

Sound laws at work

L + yod

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In a sentence

  • esEl consejo municipal se reúne los lunes.
  • frLe conseil municipal se réunit le lundi.
  • itIl consiglio comunale si riunisce il lunedì.
  • ptA Câmara Municipal se reúne às segundas.
  • roConsiliul local se întrunește lunea.
  • caEl consell municipal es reuneix els dilluns.
  • enThe city council meets on Mondays.

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