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"length" in seven languages

Meaninglength

Spanish

longitud

/lonxiˈtud/

fem.learned

In everyday measuring, el largo is common too: dos metros de largo.

French

longueur

/lɔ̃gœʁ/

fem.other source · French long + -eur (Latin LONGUM)

Italian

lunghezza

/lunˈgettsa/

fem.other source · Italian lungo + -ezza (Latin LONGUM)

Portuguese

comprimento

/kõpɾiˈmẽtu/

masc.other source · comprido 'long', from cumprir (Latin COMPLĒRE 'to fill up')

Longitude is only geographical longitude.

Romanian

lungime

/lunˈdʒime/

fem.other source · Romanian lung 'long' (Latin LONGUM) + -ime

Catalan

llargada

/ʎərˈgadə/

fem.other source · Catalan llarg 'long' (Latin LARGUM 'wide') + -ada

Longitud is the technical word.

English

length

/lɛŋθ/

native English · Old English lengþu

Built on long, which is related to Latin LONGUS only through Indo-European.

English → ItalianlengthlunghezzaNot relatedDifferent sources — learn this one fresh. But English has relatives: longitude, long, elongate.What English and Italian share

The Latin ancestor

LONGITŪDINEM‘length’

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

The story

Spanish took the learned Latin noun (English longitude's twin); French and Italian built theirs at home on long and lungo.

English relatives: longitude, long, elongate

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In a sentence

  • esMide la longitud de la mesa.
  • frMesure la longueur de la table.
  • itMisura la lunghezza del tavolo.
  • ptMeça o comprimento da mesa.
  • roMăsoară lungimea mesei.
  • caMesura la llargada de la taula.
  • enMeasure the length of the table.

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