"neck" in seven languages
Meaningneck
Spanish
cuello
/ˈkweʝo/
masc.inherited
French
cou
/ku/
masc.inherited
Italian
collo
/ˈkɔllo/
masc.inherited
Portuguese
pescoço
/pesˈkosu/
masc.other source · of uncertain origin
Colo, from COLLUM, now means 'lap'.
Romanian
gât
/gɨt/
neut.other source · of uncertain origin
plural: gâturi
Also the throat.
Catalan
coll
/kɔʎ/
masc.inherited
English
neck
/nɛk/
native English · Old English hnecca
English → ItalianneckcolloNot relatedDifferent sources — learn this one fresh. But English has relatives: collar.What English and Italian share
The Latin ancestor
COLLUM‘neck’
All six sisters descend from it, unless marked otherwise below.
The story
French col became cou as the l vocalised (cols → cous); the older col survives as 'collar' and 'mountain pass'. Spanish broke the open o into ue.
English relatives: collar
Sound laws at work
Learn it
In a sentence
- esLa jirafa tiene el cuello muy largo.
- frLa girafe a un très long cou.
- itLa giraffa ha il collo molto lungo.
- ptA girafa tem o pescoço muito comprido.
- roGirafa are gâtul foarte lung.
- caLa girafa té el coll molt llarg.
- enThe giraffe has a very long neck.