"game" in seven languages
Meaninggame
Spanish
juego
/ˈxweɡo/
masc.inherited
French
jeu
/ʒø/
masc.inherited
plural: jeux
Italian
gioco
/ˈdʒɔko/
masc.inherited
Older spelling giuoco, with the uo diphthong.
Portuguese
jogo
/ˈʒoɡu/
masc.inherited
Romanian
joc
/ʒok/
neut.inherited
Catalan
joc
/ʒɔk/
masc.inherited
English
game
/ɡeɪm/
native English · Old English gamen 'amusement'
English → ItaliangamegiocoNot relatedDifferent sources — learn this one fresh. But English has relatives: joke, jocular, juggler.What English and Italian share
The Latin ancestor
IOCUM‘joke, jest’
All six sisters descend from it, unless marked otherwise below.
The story
A Latin 'joke' became every 'game'. Initial I- became x, ʒ and dʒ; stressed short o broke into ue/eu. A sports match is a different word: partido, match, partita.
English relatives: joke, jocular, juggler
Sound laws at work
Learn it
In a sentence
- es¿Quieres jugar a un juego?
- frTu veux jouer à un jeu ?
- itVuoi fare un gioco?
- ptQuer jogar um jogo?
- roVrei să jucăm un joc?
- caVols jugar a un joc?
- enDo you want to play a game?