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"friendship" in seven languages

Meaningfriendship

Spanish

amistad

/amisˈtad/

fem.inherited

French

amitié

/amitje/

fem.inherited

Italian

amicizia

/amiˈtʃittsja/

fem.other source · Latin AMĪCITIAM (the classical form, taken up in writing)

Old Italian also had amistà, from the spoken form.

Portuguese

amizade

/amiˈzadʒi/

fem.inherited

Romanian

prietenie

/prieteˈnie/

fem.other source · Romanian prieten 'friend', from Slavic prijatelĭ

Catalan

amistat

/əmisˈtat/

fem.inherited

English

friendship

/ˈfɹɛndʃɪp/

native English · Old English frēondscipe

English → ItalianfriendshipamiciziaNot relatedDifferent sources — learn this one fresh. But English has relatives: amity, amicable, amiable.What English and Italian share

The Latin ancestor

*AMĪCITĀTEM‘friendship (spoken Latin, for classical AMĪCITIA)’

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

The story

Spoken Latin rebuilt AMĪCITIA with the -TĀTEM ending, which Spanish (amistad) and French (amitié) inherited. Italian went back to classical AMĪCITIA. English amity is the Old French word.

English relatives: amity, amicable, amiable

Sound laws at work

-TĀTEM: -dad, -té, -tà

Learn it

Practice the Feelings deckQuiz a friend on it

In a sentence

  • esSu amistad duró cincuenta años.
  • frLeur amitié a duré cinquante ans.
  • itLa loro amicizia è durata cinquant'anni.
  • ptA amizade deles durou cinquenta anos.
  • roPrietenia lor a durat cincizeci de ani.
  • caLa seva amistat va durar cinquanta anys.
  • enTheir friendship lasted fifty years.

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