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"film, movie" in seven languages

Meaningfilm, movie

Spanish

película

/peˈlikula/

fem.other source · Latin PELLĪCULAM 'little skin'

Filme also exists; peli is colloquial.

French

film

/film/

masc.borrowed · English film

Italian

film

/film/

masc.borrowed · English film

Invariable: i film.

Portuguese

filme

/ˈfiwmi/

masc.borrowed · English film

Romanian

film

/film/

neut.borrowed · English film (partly via French)

Catalan

pel·lícula

/pəlˈlikulə/

fem.other source · learned Latin PELLĪCULAM 'little skin'

English

film

/fɪlm/

from Latin/French · Old English filmen 'membrane, thin skin'

American English prefers movie.

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

The ancestor

Old English filmen‘membrane, thin skin’

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

The story

Both words began as a thin skin: English film (Old English filmen 'membrane') and Spanish película (PELLĪCULA 'little skin'), named for the coated photographic strip. French and Italian borrowed the English word.

English relatives: film; pellicle (from PELLĪCULA)

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In a sentence

  • es¿Vemos una película esta noche?
  • frOn regarde un film ce soir ?
  • itGuardiamo un film stasera?
  • ptVamos ver um filme hoje à noite?
  • roNe uităm la un film diseară?
  • caMirem una pel·lícula aquesta nit?
  • enShall we watch a film tonight?

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