"enemy" in seven languages
Meaningenemy
Spanish
enemigo
/eneˈmigo/
masc.inherited
French
ennemi
/ɛnmi/
masc.inherited
Italian
nemico
/neˈmiko/
masc.inherited
Portuguese
inimigo
/iniˈmiɡu/
masc.inherited
Romanian
dușman
/duʃˈman/
masc.other source · Turkish düşman (from Persian)
The learned inamic, from INIMĪCUS, is used in military and formal language.
Catalan
enemic
/ənəˈmik/
masc.inherited
English
enemy
/ˈɛnəmi/
from Latin/French · Old French enemi
English → ItalianenemynemicoCognateSame source — inherited, learned or borrowed. You can recognize it.What English and Italian share
The Latin ancestor
INIMĪCUM‘un-friend (IN- + AMĪCUS)’
All six sisters descend from it, unless marked otherwise below.
The story
An enemy is just an un-friend, IN- + AMĪCUS. Italian dropped the first syllable (nemico), and the k got the same treatment as in amigo / ami / amico.
English relatives: enemy, enmity, inimical
Sound laws at work
Learn it
In a sentence
- esEl gato es el enemigo del ratón.
- frLe chat est l'ennemi de la souris.
- itIl gatto è il nemico del topo.
- ptO gato é inimigo do rato.
- roPisica e dușmanul șoarecelui.
- caEl gat és l'enemic del ratolí.
- enThe cat is the mouse's enemy.