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"juice" in seven languages

Meaningjuice

Spanish

zumo

/ˈθumo/

masc.other source · of uncertain origin (perhaps Greek zōmós 'broth')

Spain says zumo; Latin America says jugo, from Latin SŪCUM.

French

jus

/ʒy/

masc.inherited

Italian

succo

/ˈsukko/

masc.other source · Latin SŪCUM 'sap, juice'

Portuguese

suco

/ˈsuku/

masc.other source · Latin SŪCUM 'sap, juice'

European Portuguese says sumo.

Romanian

suc

/suk/

neut.other source · French suc, Latin SŪCUM 'sap, juice'

Catalan

suc

/suk/

masc.other source · Latin SŪCUM 'sap, juice'

English

juice

/dʒus/

from Latin/French · Old French jus

English → ItalianjuicesuccoNot relatedDifferent sources — learn this one fresh. But English has relatives: succulent (it).What English and Italian share

The Latin ancestor

IŪS‘broth, sauce’

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

The story

French jus is Latin IŪS 'broth', with the usual j and the u turned into [y]; English juice comes from it. Italian succo and Latin American jugo come from SŪCUS 'sap', the root of succulent.

English relatives: succulent (it)

Sound laws at work

Initial I- (J-) and G before E, IFrench fronts long U to [y]

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In a sentence

  • esUn zumo de naranja, por favor.
  • frUn jus d'orange, s'il vous plaît.
  • itUn succo d'arancia, per favore.
  • ptUm suco de laranja, por favor.
  • roUn suc de portocale, vă rog.
  • caUn suc de taronja, si us plau.
  • enAn orange juice, please.

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