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"needle" in seven languages

Meaningneedle

Spanish

aguja

/aˈɡuxa/

fem.inherited

Also the hand of a clock.

French

aiguille

/eɡɥij/

fem.inherited

Also the hand of a clock.

Italian

ago

/ˈaɡo/

masc.other source · Latin ACUM 'needle', the plain word

Plural aghi; a clock hand is la lancetta.

Portuguese

agulha

/aˈɡuʎɐ/

fem.inherited

Romanian

ac

/ak/

neut.other source · Latin ACUS 'needle', the plain word

Plural ace.

Catalan

agulla

/əˈɡuʎə/

fem.inherited

English

needle

/ˈnidəl/

native English · Old English nǣdl

English → ItalianneedleagoNot relatedDifferent sources — learn this one fresh. But English has relatives: acute, acupuncture.What English and Italian share

The Latin ancestor

*ACUCULAM (diminutive of ACUS)‘little needle’

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

The story

Spoken Latin preferred the 'little needle' *ACUCULA, and its -C'L- went the usual ways: aguja, aiguille, agulha, agulla. Italian ago and Romanian ac kept plain ACUS, the root of acute and acupuncture.

English relatives: acute, acupuncture

Sound laws at work

C'L inside a wordVoiceless stops between vowels soften

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In a sentence

  • esNecesito aguja e hilo.
  • frJ'ai besoin d'une aiguille et de fil.
  • itMi servono ago e filo.
  • ptPreciso de agulha e linha.
  • roAm nevoie de ac și ață.
  • caEm cal una agulla i fil.
  • enI need a needle and thread.

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