"fountain, spring" in seven languages

Meaningfountain, spring

Spanish

fuente

/ˈfwente/

fem.inherited

Also a serving dish, and a source of information.

French

fontaine

/fɔ̃tɛn/

fem.inherited

From the adjective *FONTĀNA 'of the spring'.

Italian

fontana

/fonˈtana/

fem.inherited

Also fonte, now mostly 'source'.

Portuguese

fonte

/ˈfõtʃi/

fem.inherited

A decorative fountain in a square is also a chafariz.

Romanian

fântână

/fɨnˈtɨnə/

fem.inherited

plural: fântâni

From the adjective FONTĀNA; it also means 'well'.

Catalan

font

/fon/

fem.inherited

English

fountain

/ˈfaʊntən/

from Latin/French · Old French fontaine

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

The Latin ancestor

FONTEM (nom. FŌNS)‘spring, source’

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

Spanish kept FONTEM itself and made it feminine; French and Italian built on the adjective FONTĀNA. Throw a coin in the Fontana di Trevi.

English relatives: fountain, font