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"deck (of a ship)" in seven languages

Meaningdeck (of a ship)

Spanish

cubierta

/kuˈbjeɾta/

fem.other source · cubierto, participle of cubrir (Latin COOPERĪRE 'to cover')

French

pont

/pɔ̃/

masc.inherited

The same word as 'bridge'.

Italian

ponte

/ˈponte/

masc.inherited

The same word as 'bridge'.

Portuguese

convés

/kõˈvɛs/

masc.other source · of uncertain origin

Romanian

punte

/ˈpunte/

fem.inherited

Romanian punte also keeps the old sense 'footbridge'; a bridge proper is pod, from Slavic.

Catalan

coberta

/kuˈbɛrtə/

fem.other source · cobert, participle of cobrir (Latin COOPERĪRE 'to cover')

English

deck

/dɛk/

other source · Middle Dutch dec 'covering, roof'

English → Italiandeck (of a ship)ponteNot relatedDifferent sources — learn this one fresh. But English has relatives: pontoon, pontiff.What English and Italian share

The Latin ancestor

PONTEM‘bridge’

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

The story

French and Italian call a ship's deck a 'bridge' (pont, ponte); Spanish and English call it a 'cover': cubierta, and deck from Dutch.

English relatives: pontoon, pontiff

Sound laws at work

French vowel + nasal becomes a nasal vowel

Learn it

Practice the Travel deckQuiz a friend on it

In a sentence

  • esLos pasajeros están en cubierta.
  • frLes passagers sont sur le pont.
  • itI passeggeri sono sul ponte.
  • ptOs passageiros estão no convés.
  • roPasagerii sunt pe punte.
  • caEls passatgers són a coberta.
  • enThe passengers are on deck.

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