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"direct" in seven languages

Meaningdirect

Spanish

directo

/diˈɾekto/

learned

French

direct

/diʁɛkt/

learned

fem.: directe

Italian

diretto

/diˈrɛtto/

learned

Portuguese

direto

/dʒiˈɾɛtu/

learned

Romanian

direct

/diˈrekt/

learned

Catalan

directe

/diˈɾɛktə/

learned

English

direct

/dəˈɹɛkt/

from Latin/French · Latin DĪRĒCTUS

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

The Latin ancestor

DĪRĒCTUM‘set straight (participle of DĪRIGERE)’

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

The story

Spoken Latin wore DĪRĒCTUM down to derecho, droit, dritto 'straight; right'. Taken again from books, it gave directo, direct, diretto.

English relatives: direction, director

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In a sentence

  • es¿Hay un vuelo directo a Roma?
  • frIl y a un vol direct pour Rome ?
  • itC'è un volo diretto per Roma?
  • ptTem voo direto para Roma?
  • roExistă un zbor direct spre Roma?
  • caHi ha un vol directe a Roma?
  • enIs there a direct flight to Rome?

The Latin family

DĪRIG-, DĪRĒCT-· set straight, guide

DĪRĒCTUM 'set straight' became the everyday Romance word for 'straight', 'right' and 'law' (spoken *DERECTU → derecho, droit, diritto). The learned doublet directo, direct, diretto kept the sense 'without detour'. French also built a verb on it that English borrowed as dress and address. Romanian drept 'straight; right; law' shows the Eastern -CT- → -pt-.

  • DĪRĒCTUMstraight; right; law

    esderechofrdroititdirittoptdireitorodreptcadret

  • DĪRĒCTUMdirect (learned)

    esdirectofrdirectitdirettoptdiretorodirectcadirecteendirect

  • DĪRĒCTIŌNEMa straightening, guiding

    esdirecciónfrdirectionitdirezioneptdireçãorodirecțiecadireccióendirection

  • DĪRIGEREto set straight, steer

    esdirigirfrdirigeritdirigereptdirigirrodirijacadirigir

  • *DĪRĒCTIĀREto set straight

    esaderezarfrdresseritdrizzareptendereçarcaadreçarendress

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