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"July" in seven languages

MeaningJuly

Spanish

julio

/ˈxuljo/

masc.learned

French

juillet

/ʒɥijɛ/

masc.inherited

Old French juil plus the diminutive -et, after juignet 'little June'.

Italian

luglio

/ˈluʎʎo/

masc.inherited

The l- at the front probably comes from the article (il iuglio → il luglio).

Portuguese

julho

/ˈʒuʎu/

masc.inherited

Romanian

iulie

/ˈjulie/

masc.learned

Catalan

juliol

/ʒuliˈɔl/

masc.other source · Latin *IŪLIOLUM, a diminutive of IŪLIUS (DCVB)

The diminutive kept July apart from juny 'June'.

English

July

/dʒʊˈlaɪ/

from Latin/French · Latin IŪLIUS (via Anglo-French julie)

English → ItalianJulyluglioCognateSame source — inherited, learned or borrowed. You can recognize it.What English and Italian share

The Latin ancestor

IŪLIUM‘(month) of Julius’

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

The story

The month was named after Julius Caesar, who was born in it. Italian luglio shows LI → gli; French juillet is a diminutive, built like its old neighbour juignet, 'little June'.

English relatives: Julian (calendar)

Sound laws at work

L + yodInitial I- (J-) and G before E, I

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In a sentence

  • esEn julio nos vamos a España.
  • frEn juillet, on part en Espagne.
  • itA luglio andiamo in Spagna.
  • ptEm julho vamos para a Espanha.
  • roÎn iulie mergem în Spania.
  • caAl juliol anem a Espanya.
  • enWe're going to Spain in July.

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