"killer, murderer" in seven languages
Meaningkiller, murderer
Spanish
/aseˈsino/
masc.borrowed · Arabic ḥaššāšīn, perhaps through Italian
French
/tɥœʁ/
masc.other source · tuer, from Latin TŪTĀRĪ 'to protect'
Assassin exists too, mostly for murderers and political killers.
Italian
/assasˈsino/
masc.borrowed · Arabic ḥaššāšīn
Portuguese
/asaˈsinu/
masc.borrowed · Italian assassino
Romanian
/utʃiˈɡaʃ/
masc.other source · ucide 'to kill' (Latin OCCĪDERE) + agent suffix -aș
Asasin exists too, mostly for political murders.
Catalan
/əsəˈsi/
masc.borrowed · Italian assassino
English
/ˈkɪlɚ/
native English · kill (Middle English, of uncertain origin) + -er
The ancestor
Arabic ḥaššāšīn‘hashish users (name given to a medieval sect)’
All six sisters descend from it, unless marked otherwise below.
The story
Spanish and Italian use the word English keeps for political murder: assassin, from an Arabic nickname for a medieval sect. French tueur comes from tuer 'to kill', whose Latin ancestor meant 'to protect'.
English relatives: assassin, assassinate
Learn it
In a sentence
- esLa policía detuvo al asesino.
- frLa police a arrêté le tueur.
- itLa polizia ha arrestato l'assassino.
- ptA polícia prendeu o assassino.
- roPoliția l-a prins pe ucigaș.
- caLa policia ha detingut l'assassí.
- enThe police caught the killer.