"hen, chicken" in seven languages
Meaninghen, chicken
Spanish
gallina
/gaˈʝina/
fem.inherited
French
poule
/pul/
fem.other source · Latin PULLAM, feminine of PULLUS 'young animal, chick'
Italian
gallina
/galˈlina/
fem.inherited
Portuguese
galinha
/gaˈliɲɐ/
fem.inherited
Intervocalic -N- after i became nh: GALLĪNAM → galinha.
Romanian
găină
/gəˈinə/
fem.inherited
Romanian lost the l between vowels here, leaving găină.
Catalan
gallina
/gəˈʎinə/
fem.inherited
English
hen
/hɛn/
native English · Old English henn
English → Italianhen, chickengallinaNot relatedDifferent sources — learn this one fresh. But English has relatives: gallinaceous; pullet, poultry (from PULLUS).What English and Italian share
The Latin ancestor
GALLĪNAM‘hen (from GALLUS 'rooster')’
All six sisters descend from it, unless marked otherwise below.
The story
Spanish and Italian named the hen after the rooster (GALLUS); French chose the 'chick' word — the same PULLUS that gave pollo, poulet and pollo for chicken on the plate.
English relatives: gallinaceous; pullet, poultry (from PULLUS)
Learn it
In a sentence
- esLas gallinas ponen huevos todos los días.
- frLes poules pondent des œufs tous les jours.
- itLe galline fanno le uova ogni giorno.
- ptAs galinhas botam ovos todo dia.
- roGăinile fac ouă în fiecare zi.
- caLes gallines ponen ous cada dia.
- enThe hens lay eggs every day.