"duck" in seven languages
Meaningduck
Spanish
pato
/ˈpato/
masc.other source · uncertain, probably expressive
French
canard
/kanaʁ/
masc.other source · Old French caner 'to cackle' (imitative) + -ard
Also slang for a newspaper, as in Le Canard enchaîné.
Italian
anatra
/ˈanatra/
fem.inherited
Portuguese
pato
/ˈpatu/
masc.other source · uncertain, probably expressive (as Spanish pato)
Romanian
rață
/ˈratsə/
fem.other source · of uncertain origin
Catalan
ànec
/ˈanək/
masc.inherited
The stem is ANAT-; the ending is a later reshaping.
English
duck
/dʌk/
native English · Old English duce 'diver'
English → ItalianduckanatraNot relatedDifferent sources — learn this one fresh.What English and Italian share
The Latin ancestor
ANATEM (nom. ANAS)‘duck’
All six sisters descend from it, unless marked otherwise below.
The story
Italian alone kept Latin's duck. French named it after its noise; English canard 'false rumour' comes from the French.
Learn it
In a sentence
- esLos niños dan de comer a los patos.
- frLes enfants donnent à manger aux canards.
- itI bambini danno da mangiare alle anatre.
- ptAs crianças dão comida aos patos.
- roCopiii dau de mâncare rațelor.
- caEls nens donen menjar als ànecs.
- enThe children feed the ducks.