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"deep" in seven languages

Meaningdeep

Spanish

profundo

/pɾoˈfundo/

learned

The inherited twin is hondo, from FUNDUM 'bottom' (f- → h-).

French

profond

/pʁɔfɔ̃/

inherited

Italian

profondo

/proˈfondo/

inherited

Portuguese

profundo

/pɾoˈfũdu/

learned

Brazilians also say fundo, the inherited word for 'bottom': o lago é fundo.

Romanian

adânc

/aˈdɨnk/

other source · of disputed origin

Catalan

profund

/pɾuˈfun/

learned

Everyday Catalan also says fondo, from FUNDUM 'bottom'.

English

deep

/dip/

native English · Old English dēop

English → ItaliandeepprofondoNot relatedDifferent sources — learn this one fresh. But English has relatives: profound, fund, foundation.What English and Italian share

The Latin ancestor

PROFUNDUM‘deep, bottomless (PRO + FUNDUS 'bottom')’

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

The story

PROFUNDUS is 'reaching far toward the bottom'. French and Italian wore it down normally; Spanish profundo is the learned form, beside the earthier hondo.

English relatives: profound, fund, foundation

Sound laws at work

French vowel + nasal becomes a nasal vowel

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In a sentence

  • esEl lago es muy profundo.
  • frLe lac est très profond.
  • itIl lago è molto profondo.
  • ptO lago é muito profundo.
  • roLacul e foarte adânc.
  • caEl llac és molt profund.
  • enThe lake is very deep.

More words from the same Latin

More in Describing words

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