"high, tall" in seven languages
Meaninghigh, tall
Spanish
alto
/ˈalto/
inherited
French
haut
/o/
inherited
Its h (which blocks liaison) is usually credited to Frankish *hōh 'high'. For tall people French says grand.
Italian
alto
/ˈalto/
inherited
Portuguese
alto
/ˈawtu/
inherited
Romanian
înalt
/ɨˈnalt/
inherited
From a prefixed spoken form *INALTUS; plain ALTUS did not survive alone.
Catalan
alt
/al/
inherited
English
high
/haɪ/
native English · Old English hēah
English → Italianhigh, tallaltoNot relatedDifferent sources — learn this one fresh. But English has relatives: altitude, alto, exalt.What English and Italian share
The Latin ancestor
ALTUM‘high; also deep’
All six sisters descend from it, unless marked otherwise below.
The story
French vocalized the l before t (alt → aut, said o), as in ALTERUM → autre. Latin ALTUS meant both 'high' and 'deep' — measured from wherever you stood.
English relatives: altitude, alto, exalt
Sound laws at work
Learn it
In a sentence
- esMi hermano es muy alto.
- frMon frère est très grand.
- itMio fratello è molto alto.
- ptMeu irmão é muito alto.
- roFratele meu e foarte înalt.
- caEl meu germà és molt alt.
- enMy brother is very tall.