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"lawyer" in seven languages

Meaninglawyer

Spanish

abogado

/aboˈgado/

masc.inherited

fem.: abogada

French

avocat

/avɔka/

masc.learned

fem.: avocate

The inherited Old French form survives as avoué, a kind of solicitor.

Italian

avvocato

/avvoˈkato/

masc.inherited

Portuguese

advogado

/adʒivoˈɡadu/

masc.inherited

The -t- voiced to -d- in popular speech; the -dv- was restored by learned spelling (Old Portuguese avogado).

Romanian

avocat

/avoˈkat/

masc.borrowed · French avocat

Catalan

advocat

/ədbuˈkat/

masc.learned

English

lawyer

/ˈlɔjɚ/

other source · law (Old Norse *lagu) + -yer

English → ItalianlawyeravvocatoNot relatedDifferent sources — learn this one fresh. But English has relatives: advocate, vocal, voice.What English and Italian share

The Latin ancestor

ADVOCĀTUM‘one called to one's side (to help in court)’

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

The story

A lawyer is someone 'called to' your aid. French avocat also means avocado — a folk reshaping of Nahuatl āhuacatl, which Spanish kept as aguacate.

English relatives: advocate, vocal, voice

Sound laws at work

Voiceless stops between vowels soften

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In a sentence

  • esNecesito un abogado.
  • frJ'ai besoin d'un avocat.
  • itHo bisogno di un avvocato.
  • ptPreciso de um advogado.
  • roAm nevoie de un avocat.
  • caNecessito un advocat.
  • enI need a lawyer.

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