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"horn" in seven languages

Meaninghorn

Spanish

cuerno

/ˈkweɾno/

masc.inherited

French

corne

/kɔʁn/

fem.inherited

Feminine because it continues the Latin plural CORNUA, reread as a singular. A hunting horn is un cor.

Italian

corno

/ˈkɔrno/

masc.inherited

plural: corna

An animal's horns are le corna; musical horns are i corni.

Portuguese

chifre

/ˈʃifɾi/

masc.other source · of uncertain origin

Corno, from CORNŪ, is the musical horn.

Romanian

corn

/korn/

neut.inherited

plural: coarne

The plural coarne continues Latin CORNUA.

Catalan

banya

/ˈbaɲə/

fem.other source · of uncertain origin (perhaps pre-Roman)

Corn, from CORNŪ, is a hunting or musical horn.

English

horn

/hɔɹn/

Indo-European kin · PIE *ḱer- 'horn, head'

English → ItalianhorncornoDistant cognateRelated only through Indo-European, thousands of years back (night ~ noche). But English has relatives: unicorn, cornucopia, cornet, corner.What English and Italian share

The Latin ancestor

CORNŪ‘horn (neuter; plural CORNUA)’

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

The story

CORNŪ was neuter, with the plural CORNUA. Italian still says un corno, due corna and Romanian un corn, două coarne; French made the plural a feminine singular, la corne. English horn is the Germanic cousin.

English relatives: unicorn, cornucopia, cornet, corner

Sound laws at work

Stressed short O breaks into ue / uo / euPlurals: -s or -i

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In a sentence

  • esEl toro tiene dos cuernos.
  • frLe taureau a deux cornes.
  • itIl toro ha due corna.
  • ptO touro tem dois chifres.
  • roTaurul are două coarne.
  • caEl toro té dues banyes.
  • enThe bull has two horns.

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