"movie, film" in seven languages

Meaningmovie, film

Spanish

película

/peˈlikula/

fem.other source · learned Latin PELLĪCULAM 'little skin'

Filme exists too, but sounds formal.

French

film

/film/

masc.borrowed · English film

Italian

film

/film/

masc.borrowed · English film

plural: film

Portuguese

filme

/ˈfiwmi/

masc.borrowed · English film

Romanian

film

/film/

neut.borrowed · English film (partly via French)

Catalan

pel·lícula

/pəlˈlikulə/

fem.other source · learned Latin PELLĪCULAM 'little skin'

English

movie

/ˈmuvi/

other source · English moving picture (move: Old French movoir, Latin MOVĒRE)

British English prefers film.

English → Italianmovie, filmfilmNot relatedDifferent sources — learn this one fresh. But English has relatives: film, filmy.What English and Italian share

The ancestor

English film‘thin skin, membrane; coated strip’

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

The story

Both words started as a thin skin. Spanish película is Latin PELLĪCULA 'little skin', and film is Old English filmen 'membrane', so each language named the coated strip before it named the story on it.

English relatives: film, filmy

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In a sentence

es¿Vemos una película esta noche?
frOn regarde un film ce soir ?
itGuardiamo un film stasera?
ptVamos ver um filme hoje à noite?
roNe uităm la un film diseară?
caMirem una pel·lícula aquesta nit?
enShall we watch a movie tonight?

More in Town & city

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