"expensive; dear" in seven languages
Meaningexpensive; dear
Spanish
caro
/ˈkaɾo/
inherited
'Dear' in a letter is querido.
French
cher
/ʃɛʁ/
inherited
fem.: chère
Both 'dear' and 'expensive', like Italian caro.
Italian
caro
/ˈkaro/
inherited
Portuguese
caro
/ˈkaɾu/
inherited
Romanian
scump
/skump/
other source · of uncertain origin
Also 'dear': dragă is the usual word in letters.
Catalan
car
/ka/
inherited
English
expensive
/ɪkˈspɛnsɪv/
other source · Latin expēnsa (via Anglo-French)
English → Italianexpensive; dearcaroNot relatedDifferent sources — learn this one fresh. But English has relatives: caress, charity, cherish.What English and Italian share
The Latin ancestor
CĀRUM‘dear, precious; costly’
All six sisters descend from it, unless marked otherwise below.
The story
What is dear is costly: CĀRUS meant both. French cher packs two laws into one syllable — CA- → cha- and free stressed A → e.
English relatives: caress, charity, cherish
Sound laws at work
Learn it
In a sentence
- esEste restaurante es muy caro.
- frCe restaurant est très cher.
- itQuesto ristorante è molto caro.
- ptEste restaurante é muito caro.
- roRestaurantul ăsta e foarte scump.
- caAquest restaurant és molt car.
- enThis restaurant is very expensive.