Skip to content

"crack (in a wall, a surface)" in seven languages

Meaningcrack (in a wall, a surface)

Spanish

grieta

/ˈɡɾjeta/

fem.inherited

From a spoken-Latin form built on CREPĀRE.

French

fissure

/fisyʁ/

fem.other source · Latin FISSŪRAM 'cleft' (learned)

Fêlure is a crack in glass or china.

Italian

crepa

/ˈkrɛpa/

fem.inherited

From crepare 'to crack, burst'.

Portuguese

rachadura

/haʃaˈduɾɐ/

fem.other source · rachar 'to split', of uncertain origin

Romanian

crăpătură

/krəpəˈturə/

fem.inherited

From crăpa 'to crack', the Romanian heir of CREPĀRE.

Catalan

esquerda

/əsˈkɛrdə/

fem.other source · of uncertain origin

English

crack

/kɹæk/

native English · Old English cracian

English → Italiancrack (in a wall, a surface)crepaNot relatedDifferent sources — learn this one fresh. But English has relatives: decrepit, crevice, discrepancy.What English and Italian share

The Latin ancestor

CREPĀRE‘to crack, rattle, burst’

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

The story

Spanish and Italian built their word on CREPĀRE 'to crack, burst'. French uses learned fissure, though it kept the verb as crever 'to burst' (behind English crevice); Italian crepare is slang for 'to die'.

English relatives: decrepit, crevice, discrepancy

Learn it

Practice the Home deckQuiz a friend on it

In a sentence

  • esHay una grieta en la pared.
  • frIl y a une fissure dans le mur.
  • itC'è una crepa nel muro.
  • ptTem uma rachadura na parede.
  • roE o crăpătură în perete.
  • caHi ha una esquerda a la paret.
  • enThere's a crack in the wall.

More in Home

All Home words