"gold" in seven languages
Meaninggold
Spanish
oro
/ˈoɾo/
masc.inherited
French
or
/ɔʁ/
masc.inherited
Italian
oro
/ˈɔro/
masc.inherited
Portuguese
ouro
/ˈowɾu/
masc.inherited
Latin AU became ou in Portuguese (AURUM → ouro), where Catalan went all the way to o.
Romanian
aur
/ˈaur/
neut.inherited
Romanian kept the Latin au intact.
Catalan
or
/ɔɾ/
masc.inherited
English
gold
/ɡoʊld/
native English · Old English gold
English → ItaliangoldoroNot relatedDifferent sources — learn this one fresh. But English has relatives: Au (the chemical symbol), aureole, oriole.What English and Italian share
The Latin ancestor
AURUM‘gold’
All six sisters descend from it, unless marked otherwise below.
The story
Latin AU became a plain o in all three, as in CAUSA → cosa, chose. French dropped the final vowel too, leaving just or; the chemical symbol Au keeps the Latin.
English relatives: Au (the chemical symbol), aureole, oriole
Sound laws at work
Learn it
In a sentence
- esLleva un anillo de oro.
- frElle porte une bague en or.
- itPorta un anello d'oro.
- ptEla usa um anel de ouro.
- roPoartă un inel de aur.
- caPorta un anell d'or.
- enShe wears a gold ring.