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"headquarters (of an organization)" in seven languages

Meaningheadquarters (of an organization)

Spanish

sede

/ˈsede/

fem.learned

Also sede central; oficinas centrales in business.

French

siège

/sjɛʒ/

masc.other source · Vulgar Latin *SEDICUM 'seat', from SEDĒRE 'to sit'

Also simply 'seat': le siège passager.

Italian

sede

/ˈsɛde/

fem.learned

Portuguese

sede

/ˈsɛdʒi/

fem.learned

Said with a close e, sede (from SITIM) means 'thirst'.

Romanian

sediu

/seˈdiu/

neut.learned

Catalan

seu

/sɛw/

fem.inherited

The same word names a cathedral: the bishop's seat.

English

headquarters

/ˈhɛdkwɔɹtɚz/

native English · English head + quarters (Old French quartier)

Originally the commander's lodgings in a camp.

English → Italianheadquarters (of an organization)sedeNot relatedDifferent sources — learn this one fresh. But English has relatives: see (a bishop's), sedentary, sediment, siege.What English and Italian share

The Latin ancestor

SĒDEM‘seat’

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

The story

The sisters call headquarters the organization's 'seat'. French siège comes from a different word for seat, built on the same verb SEDĒRE; English siege is the army 'sitting' before a town.

English relatives: see (a bishop's), sedentary, sediment, siege

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In a sentence

  • esLa sede de la empresa está en Madrid.
  • frLe siège de l'entreprise est à Madrid.
  • itLa sede dell'azienda è a Madrid.
  • ptA sede da empresa fica em Madri.
  • roSediul companiei este la Madrid.
  • caLa seu de l'empresa és a Madrid.
  • enThe company's headquarters is in Madrid.

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