"free (not captive)" in seven languages
Meaningfree (not captive)
Spanish
/ˈlibɾe/
learned
Semi-learned; also 'vacant': ¿Está libre este asiento?
French
/libʁ/
learned
Italian
/ˈlibero/
learned
Portuguese
/ˈlivɾi/
learned
Romanian
/ˈliber/
learned
Catalan
/ˈʎiwɾə/
inherited
After the unstressed e fell, the b before r became a u glide: LIBERUM → lliure.
English
/fɹi/
native English · Old English frēo
The Latin ancestor
LIBERUM‘free’
All six sisters descend from it, unless marked otherwise below.
The story
'Free of charge' is a different word everywhere: gratis, gratuit, gratis/gratuito. Don't confuse LIBER 'free' with LIBER 'book' (originally 'inner bark'), source of libro, livre, libro.
English relatives: liberty, liberal, deliver
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In a sentence
- es¿Está libre este asiento?
- frCette place est libre ?
- itÈ libero questo posto?
- ptEste lugar está livre?
- roE liber locul ăsta?
- caEstà lliure aquest seient?
- enIs this seat free?
The Latin family
LĪBER-· free
LĪBERUM 'free' was so tied to law and the Church that in Spanish, French and Italian the adjective survives only in learned or semi-learned shapes (libre, libre, libero); Portuguese livre and Catalan lliure show more wear, and Romanian liber was taken from Latin. The verb LĪBERĀRE did run the popular course, turning into Spanish librar, Portuguese livrar, Catalan lliurar and French livrer 'to deliver' — the learned liberar, libérer is its doublet. Not to be confused with LIBRUM 'book' (short i, originally 'inner bark').
LĪBERUMfree
eslibrefrlibreitliberoptlivrerolibercalliure
LĪBERTĀTEMfreedom
eslibertadfrlibertéitlibertàptliberdaderolibertatecallibertatenliberty
LĪBERĀREto free; (legal) to hand over
eslibrarfrlivrerptlivrarcalliurarendeliver
LĪBERĀREto set free (learned)
esliberarfrlibéreritliberareptliberarroeliberaenliberate
LĪBERĀLEMbefitting a free man; generous
esliberalfrlibéralitliberaleptliberalroliberalcaliberalenliberal