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"lack" in seven languages

Meaninglack

Spanish

falta

/ˈfalta/

fem.other source · Vulgar Latin *FALLITA, from FALLERE 'to deceive, fail'

French

manque

/mɑ̃k/

masc.borrowed · French manquer, borrowed from Italian mancare

Italian

mancanza

/manˈkantsa/

fem.inherited

From mancare 'to be missing'.

Portuguese

falta

/ˈfawtɐ/

fem.other source · Vulgar Latin *FALLITA, from FALLERE 'to deceive, fail'

Romanian

lipsă

/ˈlipsə/

fem.other source · Modern Greek lípsi

Catalan

manca

/ˈmaŋkə/

fem.inherited

Built on mancar, from manc 'maimed' (MANCUM); falta is just as common.

English

lack

/læk/

other source · Middle English lak, probably from Middle Dutch or Low German

English → ItalianlackmancanzaNot relatedDifferent sources — learn this one fresh. But English has relatives: fault, fail (es falta).What English and Italian share

The Latin ancestor

MANCUM‘maimed, defective’

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

The story

Italian built its 'missing' verb on MANCUS 'maimed', and French borrowed it (manquer, manque). Spanish falta comes from FALLERE 'to fail', like English fault.

English relatives: fault, fail (es falta)

Learn it

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In a sentence

  • esEl problema es la falta de tiempo.
  • frLe problème, c'est le manque de temps.
  • itIl problema è la mancanza di tempo.
  • ptO problema é a falta de tempo.
  • roProblema este lipsa de timp.
  • caEl problema és la manca de temps.
  • enThe problem is the lack of time.

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