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"library" in seven languages

Meaninglibrary

Spanish

biblioteca

/bibljoˈteka/

fem.learned

French

bibliothèque

/biblijɔtɛk/

fem.learned

Italian

biblioteca

/bibljoˈtɛka/

fem.learned

Portuguese

biblioteca

/bibljoˈtɛkɐ/

fem.learned

Romanian

bibliotecă

/biblioˈtekə/

fem.learned

Catalan

biblioteca

/bibliuˈtɛkə/

fem.learned

English

library

/ˈlaɪbɹɛɹi/

other source · Anglo-French librarie (Latin LIBER 'book')

English → ItalianlibrarybibliotecaNot relatedDifferent sources — learn this one fresh. But English has relatives: bibliography, Bible.What English and Italian share

Watch out: false friends

  • librairie (French) means “bookshop” · library (English) means “place to borrow books”

    Both go back to Latin LIBRĀRIUS 'of books' (French librairie is built on libraire 'bookseller'); English borrowed Old French librairie when it still meant a collection of books. Spanish librería and Italian libreria are bookshops too (Italian also 'bookcase').

  • librărie (Romanian) means “bookshop” · library (English) means “place to borrow books”

    Romanian borrowed French librairie 'bookshop'; English took Old French librairie earlier, when it still meant a collection of books. Both go back to Latin LIBRĀRIUS 'of books'.

All false friends

The Latin ancestor

BIBLIOTHĒCAM‘library, bookcase (from Greek biblíon 'book' + thḗkē 'case')’

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

The story

The sisters use the Greek 'book-case'; English library comes from Latin LIBER instead — the source of the classic trap es librería / fr librairie / it libreria, which are bookshops.

English relatives: bibliography, Bible

Learn it

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In a sentence

  • esLa biblioteca cierra a las ocho.
  • frLa bibliothèque ferme à vingt heures.
  • itLa biblioteca chiude alle otto.
  • ptA biblioteca fecha às oito.
  • roBiblioteca se închide la opt.
  • caLa biblioteca tanca a les vuit.
  • enThe library closes at eight.

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