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"direction" in seven languages

Meaningdirection

Spanish

dirección

/diɾekˈθjon/

fem.learned

Also a postal address and a company's management.

French

direction

/diʁɛksjɔ̃/

fem.learned

Italian

direzione

/diretˈtsjone/

fem.learned

Portuguese

direção

/dʒiɾeˈsɐ̃w/

fem.learned

Romanian

direcție

/diˈrektsje/

fem.learned

Catalan

direcció

/diɾəkˈsjo/

fem.learned

English

direction

/dɪˈɹɛkʃən/

from Latin/French · Latin DĪRĒCTIŌ (partly via French)

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

The Latin ancestor

DĪRĒCTIŌNEM‘a straightening, aligning (from DĪRIGERE)’

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

The story

The learned twin of DĪRĒCTUM, which went the popular way to derecho, droit, diritto 'straight, right'. A Spanish speaker asking for your dirección may want your address.

English relatives: direct, director, address

Sound laws at work

-TIŌNEM: learned -ción, inherited -zón

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In a sentence

  • esVamos en la dirección equivocada.
  • frOn va dans la mauvaise direction.
  • itStiamo andando nella direzione sbagliata.
  • ptEstamos indo na direção errada.
  • roMergem în direcția greșită.
  • caAnem en la direcció equivocada.
  • enWe're going in the wrong direction.

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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