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"mail (post)" in seven languages

Meaningmail (post)

Spanish

correo

/koˈreo/

masc.other source · Old Catalan correu 'courier' (further origin debated)

Also used for e-mail: correo electrónico.

French

courrier

/kuʁje/

masc.other source · Italian corriere 'runner, courier', from Latin CURRERE 'to run'

Italian

posta

/ˈpɔsta/

fem.other source · Latin POSITA 'placed' (the relay stations on the road)

Portuguese

correio

/koˈheju/

masc.other source · Old Catalan correu 'courier' (further origin debated)

Romanian

poștă

/ˈpoʃtə/

fem.other source · European posta 'relay station' (Latin POSITA), through Central European languages

Catalan

correu

/kuˈrɛw/

masc.other source · Old Catalan correu 'courier' (further origin debated)

English

mail

/meɪl/

other source · Old French male 'bag' (from Frankish)

English → Italianmail (post)postaNot relatedDifferent sources — learn this one fresh.What English and Italian share

The story

Each language named the post after a different part of it: English the bag (mail, cousin of French malle 'trunk'), French the runner, Spanish the courier, Italian the relay station, which also gave English post.

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In a sentence

  • es¿Ha llegado el correo hoy?
  • frLe courrier est arrivé aujourd'hui ?
  • itÈ arrivata la posta oggi?
  • ptO correio chegou hoje?
  • roA venit poșta azi?
  • caHa arribat el correu avui?
  • enDid the mail come today?

More in Town & city

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