"election" in seven languages
Meaningelection
Spanish
elección
/elekˈθjon/
fem.learned
Usually plural for a vote: las elecciones.
French
élection
/elɛksjɔ̃/
fem.learned
Italian
elezione
/eletˈtsjone/
fem.learned
Usually plural: le elezioni.
Portuguese
eleição
/elejˈsɐ̃w/
fem.learned
Romanian
alegeri
/aˈledʒerʲ/
fem.other source · alege 'to choose', an inherited Latin verb built on LEGERE 'to pick'
Political elections are always plural: alegerile.
Catalan
elecció
/ələksiˈo/
fem.learned
English
election
/ɪˈlɛkʃən/
from Latin/French · Old French election, Latin
English → ItalianelectionelezioneCognateSame source — inherited, learned or borrowed. You can recognize it.What English and Italian share
The Latin ancestor
ĒLECTIŌNEM‘a choosing (ĒLIGERE 'to pick out')’
All six sisters descend from it, unless marked otherwise below.
The story
An election is a 'picking out'; elite (French élite, 'the chosen') is the same verb. Italian turns the -cti- into -zi-, giving elezione.
English relatives: elect, elite, select, elegant
Sound laws at work
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In a sentence
- esLas elecciones son en mayo.
- frLes élections ont lieu en mai.
- itLe elezioni sono a maggio.
- ptAs eleições são em maio.
- roAlegerile sunt în mai.
- caLes eleccions són al maig.
- enThe elections are in May.