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"golden" in seven languages

Meaninggolden

Spanish

dorado

/doˈɾado/

inherited

French

doré

/dɔʁe/

inherited

Italian

dorato

/doˈrato/

inherited

Portuguese

dourado

/dowˈɾadu/

inherited

Portuguese spells the old AU as ou: ouro 'gold', dourado.

Romanian

auriu

/auˈriw/

other source · aur 'gold' (Latin AURUM) + the colour suffix -iu

Built afresh on aur, not on DĒAURĀTUM; the same root, a different word.

Catalan

daurat

/dəwˈɾat/

inherited

English

golden

/ˈɡoʊldən/

native English · Old English gold

English → ItaliangoldendoratoNot relatedDifferent sources — learn this one fresh. But English has relatives: dory (the John Dory fish), aureate (AURUM).What English and Italian share

The Latin ancestor

DĒAURĀTUM‘gilded (from AURUM 'gold')’

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

The story

Hidden inside is AURUM 'gold', with AU → o: oro / or / oro. A participle 'gilded', ending -ado / -é / -ato, the three regular outcomes of -ĀTUM.

English relatives: dory (the John Dory fish), aureate (AURUM)

Sound laws at work

AU becomes oVoiceless stops between vowels soften

Learn it

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In a sentence

  • esLlevaba un vestido dorado.
  • frElle portait une robe dorée.
  • itIndossava un vestito dorato.
  • ptEla usava um vestido dourado.
  • roPurta o rochie aurie.
  • caPortava un vestit daurat.
  • enShe wore a golden dress.

More in Colors

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