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"fog, mist" in seven languages

Meaningfog, mist

Spanish

niebla

/ˈnjebla/

fem.inherited

French

brouillard

/bʁujaʁ/

masc.other source · brouiller 'to blur, mix up'

Brume is a light mist.

Italian

nebbia

/ˈnebbja/

fem.inherited

Portuguese

névoa

/ˈnɛvoɐ/

fem.inherited

Neblina is just as common in Brazil; nevoeiro is a thick fog.

Romanian

ceață

/ˈtʃe̯atsə/

fem.other source · probably Latin *CAECIA, from CAECUS 'blind'

Catalan

boira

/ˈbɔjɾə/

fem.other source · Latin BOREAS 'north wind'

English

fog

/fɑɡ/

other source · of uncertain origin (perhaps Scandinavian)

English → Italianfog, mistnebbiaNot relatedDifferent sources — learn this one fresh. But English has relatives: nebula, nebulous.What English and Italian share

The Latin ancestor

NEBULAM‘mist, cloud’

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

The story

One Latin mist, three fates: Spanish broke the E into ie (niebla), Italian turned bl into bbi (nebbia), and Portuguese simply lost the L (névoa). French sees a 'blur' (brouillard) and Catalan the north wind (boira, from BOREAS).

English relatives: nebula, nebulous

Sound laws at work

Stressed short E breaks into ieSingle L between vowels: lost in Portuguese, r in Romanian

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In a sentence

  • esEsta mañana hay mucha niebla en la carretera.
  • frCe matin, il y a beaucoup de brouillard sur la route.
  • itStamattina c'è molta nebbia sulla strada.
  • ptHoje de manhã tem muita névoa na estrada.
  • roE ceață mare pe drum azi-dimineață.
  • caAquest matí hi ha molta boira a la carretera.
  • enThere's a lot of fog on the road this morning.

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