"minister" in seven languages
Meaningminister
Spanish
ministro
/miˈnistɾo/
masc.learned
Feminine ministra.
French
ministre
/ministʁ/
masc.learned
Italian
ministro
/miˈnistro/
masc.learned
Portuguese
ministro
/miˈnistɾu/
masc.learned
Romanian
ministru
/miˈnistru/
masc.learned
Catalan
ministre
/miˈnistɾə/
masc.learned
English
minister
/ˈmɪnɪstɚ/
from Latin/French · Old French ministre
English → ItalianministerministroCognateSame source — inherited, learned or borrowed. You can recognize it.What English and Italian share
The Latin ancestor
MINISTRUM (nom. MINISTER)‘servant, attendant (from MINUS 'less')’
All six sisters descend from it, unless marked otherwise below.
The story
MINISTER was 'the lesser one', the servant — the opposite of MAGISTER 'the greater one', which gave master. A government minister began as the king's servant.
English relatives: ministry, administer; minor, minus
Learn it
In a sentence
- esEl ministro dio un discurso.
- frLe ministre a fait un discours.
- itIl ministro ha tenuto un discorso.
- ptO ministro fez um discurso.
- roMinistrul a ținut un discurs.
- caEl ministre va fer un discurs.
- enThe minister gave a speech.
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