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"fate, destiny" in seven languages

Meaningfate, destiny

Spanish

destino

/desˈtino/

masc.learned

Built on destinar; also 'destination'.

French

destin

/dɛstɛ̃/

masc.learned

Built on destiner; 'destination' is destination.

Italian

destino

/desˈtino/

masc.learned

Built on destinare.

Portuguese

destino

/desˈtʃinu/

masc.learned

Romanian

destin

/desˈtin/

neut.borrowed · French destin (and Italian destino)

Soartă, inherited from SORTEM, is the homespun synonym.

Catalan

destí

/dəsˈti/

masc.learned

English

fate

/feɪt/

other source · Latin FĀTUM 'what has been spoken', via Old French

Destiny, from the same source as the sisters' words, is the closer match.

English → Italianfate, destinydestinoNot relatedDifferent sources — learn this one fresh. But English has relatives: destiny, destination, destine.What English and Italian share

The Latin ancestor

DĒSTINĀRE‘to make fast, determine’

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

The story

Everyday fate is 'what has been determined'. Latin FĀTUM, English fate, survives in literary Spanish hado (with the usual f → h) and Italian fato.

English relatives: destiny, destination, destine

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In a sentence

  • esNadie puede escapar del destino.
  • frPersonne ne peut échapper à son destin.
  • itNessuno può sfuggire al destino.
  • ptNinguém pode escapar do destino.
  • roNimeni nu poate scăpa de destin.
  • caNingú no pot escapar del destí.
  • enNobody can escape fate.

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