"dragon" in seven languages
Meaningdragon
Spanish
dragón
/dɾaˈɡon/
masc.inherited
French
dragon
/dʁaɡɔ̃/
masc.inherited
Italian
drago
/ˈdraɡo/
masc.inherited
plural: draghi
From the nominative DRACO; dragone also exists.
Portuguese
dragão
/dɾaˈɡɐ̃w/
masc.inherited
Romanian
dragon
/draˈɡon/
masc.borrowed · French dragon
Folk tales have the balaur, a word of uncertain origin.
Catalan
drac
/drak/
masc.inherited
Drac is also the devil.
English
dragon
/ˈdɹæɡən/
from Latin/French · Old French dragon
English → ItaliandragondragoCognateSame source — inherited, learned or borrowed. You can recognize it.What English and Italian share
The Latin ancestor
DRACŌNEM (nom. DRACO)‘serpent, dragon (Greek drákōn)’
All six sisters descend from it, unless marked otherwise below.
The story
All three sisters voiced the Latin c to g; Italian's everyday drago comes from the nominative DRACO. Draconian goes back to Draco, an Athenian lawgiver whose name meant 'dragon'.
English relatives: draconian, dragoon
Sound laws at work
Learn it
In a sentence
- esEl caballero lucha contra el dragón.
- frLe chevalier combat le dragon.
- itIl cavaliere combatte il drago.
- ptO cavaleiro luta contra o dragão.
- roCavalerul se luptă cu dragonul.
- caEl cavaller lluita contra el drac.
- enThe knight fights the dragon.