Skip to content

"exchange" in seven languages

Meaningexchange

Spanish

intercambio

/inteɾˈkambjo/

masc.other source · inter- + cambio, from Late Latin CAMBIĀRE 'to swap'

French

échange

/eʃɑ̃ʒ/

masc.inherited

Italian

scambio

/ˈskambjo/

masc.inherited

Portuguese

troca

/ˈtɾɔkɐ/

fem.other source · trocar 'to swap', of uncertain origin

Romanian

schimb

/skimb/

neut.inherited

Catalan

intercanvi

/intəɾˈkambi/

masc.other source · inter- + canvi, from Late Latin CAMBIĀRE 'to swap'

English

exchange

/ɪksˈtʃeɪndʒ/

from Latin/French · Anglo-French eschaunge

English → ItalianexchangescambioCognateSame source — inherited, learned or borrowed. You can recognize it.What English and Italian share

The Latin ancestor

*EXCAMBIĀRE‘to exchange (EX- + Late Latin CAMBIĀRE 'to swap')’

All six sisters descend from it, unless marked otherwise below.

The story

Late Latin CAMBIĀRE 'to swap', probably a Gaulish word, gave change; with EX- it became French échange and Italian scambio. Spanish keeps cambio for 'change' and builds intercambio for a swap.

English relatives: change, exchange

Learn it

Practice the Ideas deckQuiz a friend on it

In a sentence

  • esFue un intercambio justo.
  • frC'était un échange équitable.
  • itÈ stato uno scambio equo.
  • ptFoi uma troca justa.
  • roA fost un schimb corect.
  • caVa ser un intercanvi just.
  • enIt was a fair exchange.

More in Ideas

All Ideas words