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"load (something carried)" in seven languages

Meaningload (something carried)

Spanish

carga

/ˈkaɾga/

fem.inherited

From the verb cargar.

French

charge

/ʃaʁʒ/

fem.inherited

From the verb charger.

Italian

carico

/ˈkariko/

masc.inherited

From the verb caricare; la carica is a 'charge' (an office, a battery's charge).

Portuguese

carga

/ˈkahgɐ/

fem.inherited

Romanian

încărcătură

/ɨnkərkəˈturə/

fem.inherited

The noun of încărca 'to load' (spoken Latin *INCARRICĀRE).

Catalan

càrrega

/ˈkarəgə/

fem.inherited

English

load

/loʊd/

native English · Old English lād 'way, carrying'

English → Italianload (something carried)caricoNot relatedDifferent sources — learn this one fresh. But English has relatives: cargo (via Spanish), charge (via French), caricature (via Italian).What English and Italian share

The Latin ancestor

CARRICĀRE‘to load a cart (from CARRUS 'wagon')’

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

The story

A Late Latin verb for loading a wagon; English borrowed it three times — cargo from Spanish, charge from French, caricature (an 'overloaded' portrait) from Italian.

English relatives: cargo (via Spanish), charge (via French), caricature (via Italian)

Sound laws at work

French CA becomes chaVoiceless stops between vowels soften

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In a sentence

  • esEl camión lleva una carga pesada.
  • frLe camion transporte une lourde charge.
  • itIl camion trasporta un carico pesante.
  • ptO caminhão leva uma carga pesada.
  • roCamionul transportă o încărcătură grea.
  • caEl camió porta una càrrega pesada.
  • enThe truck carries a heavy load.

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