"mask" in seven languages
Meaningmask
Spanish
/ˈmaskaɾa/
fem.borrowed · probably Italian maschera (the DLE derives it from Hispano-Arabic másḫara 'buffoon')
A medical face mask is a mascarilla.
French
/mask/
masc.borrowed · Italian maschera
Also the medical mask.
Italian
/ˈmaskera/
fem.inherited
A medical mask is a mascherina.
Portuguese
/ˈmaskaɾɐ/
fem.borrowed · probably Italian maschera (perhaps via Spanish)
Romanian
/ˈmaskə/
fem.borrowed · French masque
Catalan
/ˈmaskəɾə/
fem.borrowed · Italian maschera
English
/mæsk/
from Latin/French · French masque, from Italian maschera
The ancestor
Italian maschera‘mask (ultimate origin disputed)’
All six sisters descend from it, unless marked otherwise below.
The story
The word spread from Italy with its carnival masks; where Italian got it is disputed (Medieval Latin masca 'witch' and Arabic masḫara 'buffoon' are both proposed). English mascara is the Spanish form.
English relatives: masquerade, mascara
Learn it
In a sentence
- esTodos llevaban máscara en el carnaval.
- frTout le monde portait un masque au carnaval.
- itAl carnevale tutti portavano la maschera.
- ptTodos usavam máscara no carnaval.
- roToată lumea purta mască la carnaval.
- caTothom portava màscara al carnaval.
- enEveryone wore a mask at the carnival.