"drug (narcotic)" in seven languages
Meaningdrug (narcotic)
Spanish
/ˈdɾoɡa/
fem.borrowed · French drogue
French
/dʁɔɡ/
fem.inherited
Attested since the 14th century; the origin is obscure.
Italian
/ˈdrɔɡa/
fem.borrowed · French drogue
Also 'spice' in older usage: drogheria is a grocer's.
Portuguese
/ˈdɾɔɡɐ/
fem.borrowed · French drogue
Also a mild curse: que droga! 'damn it!'.
Romanian
/droɡ/
neut.borrowed · French drogue
Plural droguri.
Catalan
/ˈdɾɔɡə/
fem.borrowed · French drogue
English
/dɹʌɡ/
from Latin/French · Old French drogue
English drug is also a medicine; in the sisters that is a medicamento.
The ancestor
French drogue‘dried wares, drug (origin obscure)’
All six sisters descend from it, unless marked otherwise below.
The story
It began as a grocer's word for spices, dyes and dried remedies (French droguerie and Italian drogheria are still shops). The old guess, Dutch droog 'dry', is unproven. Today in every sister la droga is a narcotic.
Learn it
In a sentence
- esNunca ha tomado drogas.
- frIl n'a jamais pris de drogue.
- itNon ha mai fatto uso di droghe.
- ptEle nunca usou drogas.
- roN-a luat niciodată droguri.
- caMai no ha pres drogues.
- enHe has never taken drugs.