"piece of furniture" in seven languages
Meaningpiece of furniture
Spanish
/ˈmweble/
masc.inherited
The diphthong is irregular for long Ō, probably by analogy with mueve 'moves'.
French
/mœbl/
masc.inherited
Italian
/ˈmɔbile/
masc.learned
Usually plural, i mobili. Also the adjective 'movable' — and a mobile phone is il cellulare.
Portuguese
/ˈmɔvew/
masc.inherited
Romanian
/ˈmobilə/
fem.borrowed · German Möbel (from French meuble)
Usually a mass noun: mobilă nouă 'new furniture'.
Catalan
/ˈmɔblə/
masc.inherited
English
/ˈfɝnɪtʃɚ/
other source · French fourniture
The Latin ancestor
MŌBILEM‘movable’
All six sisters descend from it, unless marked otherwise below.
The story
Furniture is 'the movables', as opposed to the house itself (inmueble, immeuble, immobile — real estate). French immeuble now means an apartment building.
English relatives: mobile, automobile, mobilize
Learn it
In a sentence
- esHemos comprado muebles nuevos.
- frOn a acheté de nouveaux meubles.
- itAbbiamo comprato mobili nuovi.
- ptCompramos móveis novos.
- roAm cumpărat mobilă nouă.
- caHem comprat mobles nous.
- enWe bought new furniture.