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"desk" in seven languages

Meaningdesk

Spanish

escritorio

/eskɾiˈtoɾjo/

masc.other source · Latin SCRĪPTŌRIUM 'writing room', learned

A school desk is a pupitre.

French

bureau

/byʁo/

masc.other source · bure, the coarse woollen cloth that covered writing tables

plural: bureaux

Also 'office', a sense English borrowed.

Italian

scrivania

/skrivaˈnia/

fem.other source · scrivano 'scribe', from scrivere (Latin SCRĪBERE)

Portuguese

escrivaninha

/eskɾivaˈniɲɐ/

fem.other source · escrivão 'clerk, scribe' (from Latin SCRĪBA) + -inha

Romanian

birou

/biˈrow/

neut.other source · French bureau

Like French bureau, it is also 'office'.

Catalan

escriptori

/əskɾipˈtɔɾi/

masc.other source · Latin SCRĪPTŌRIUM 'writing room' (learned)

English

desk

/dɛsk/

other source · Medieval Latin desca (Italian desco 'table'), from Latin DISCUS

English → ItaliandeskscrivaniaNot relatedDifferent sources — learn this one fresh. But English has relatives: script, scribe (es, it); bureau (fr).What English and Italian share

The story

Spanish and Italian name the desk after writing; French after the cloth spread on it. English desk is the same Latin DISCUS as dish and disc.

English relatives: script, scribe (es, it); bureau (fr)

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In a sentence

  • esEl libro está en mi escritorio.
  • frLe livre est sur mon bureau.
  • itIl libro è sulla mia scrivania.
  • ptO livro está na minha escrivaninha.
  • roCartea e pe biroul meu.
  • caEl llibre és al meu escriptori.
  • enThe book is on my desk.

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