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"defense" in seven languages

Meaningdefense

Spanish

defensa

/deˈfensa/

fem.learned

The inherited form is dehesa, once 'fenced-off land', now a pasture.

French

défense

/defɑ̃s/

fem.learned

Italian

difesa

/diˈfesa/

fem.inherited

Portuguese

defesa

/deˈfezɐ/

fem.inherited

Romanian

apărare

/apəˈrare/

fem.other source · long infinitive of apăra 'to defend', of disputed Latin origin

Catalan

defensa

/dəˈfɛnsə/

fem.learned

English

defense

/dɪˈfɛns/

from Latin/French · Old French defense

Spelled defence in British English.

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

The Latin ancestor

DĒFĒNSAM‘protection (Late Latin, from DĒFENDERE 'to ward off')’

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

The story

Italian difesa shows spoken Latin dropping n before s, as in MĒNSEM → mese. Spanish defensa is the learned twin of dehesa, and English fence is defence with its first syllable clipped.

English relatives: defend, defensive, fence

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In a sentence

  • esLa mejor defensa es un buen ataque.
  • frLa meilleure défense, c'est l'attaque.
  • itLa miglior difesa è l'attacco.
  • ptA melhor defesa é um bom ataque.
  • roCea mai bună apărare este atacul.
  • caLa millor defensa és un bon atac.
  • enThe best defense is a good offense.

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