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"food" in seven languages

Meaningfood

Spanish

comida

/koˈmida/

fem.other source · Spanish comer, from Latin COMEDERE 'to eat up'

Also 'meal' and, in Spain, 'lunch'.

French

nourriture

/nuʁityʁ/

fem.other source · Late Latin NUTRĪTŪRAM 'nourishment'

Italian

cibo

/ˈtʃibo/

masc.other source · Latin CIBUM 'food' (learned)

Portuguese

comida

/koˈmidɐ/

fem.other source · Portuguese comer, from Latin COMEDERE 'to eat up'

Romanian

mâncare

/mɨnˈkare/

fem.other source · Romanian mânca 'to eat', from Latin MANDŪCĀRE

Catalan

menjar

/mənˈʒa/

masc.other source · Catalan menjar 'to eat' (Latin MANDŪCĀRE, via Occitan)

The infinitive used as a noun: el menjar.

English

food

/fud/

native English · Old English fōda

English → ItalianfoodciboNot relatedDifferent sources — learn this one fresh. But English has relatives: comestible (COMEDERE); nourish, nutrition (NUTRĪRE).What English and Italian share

The story

Spanish says 'the eating', French 'the nourishing', and Italian kept Latin CIBUS, the plain word for food.

English relatives: comestible (COMEDERE); nourish, nutrition (NUTRĪRE)

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In a sentence

  • esAquí la comida es excelente.
  • frIci, la nourriture est excellente.
  • itQui il cibo è ottimo.
  • ptA comida aqui é excelente.
  • roMâncarea de aici e excelentă.
  • caEl menjar d'aquí és excel·lent.
  • enThe food here is excellent.

More in Food & drink

All Food & drink words