"nephew" in seven languages
Meaningnephew
Spanish
sobrino
/soˈbɾino/
masc.other source · Latin CONSOBRĪNUM 'cousin'
French
neveu
/nəvø/
masc.inherited
Italian
nipote
/niˈpote/
masc.inherited
Portuguese
sobrinho
/soˈbɾiɲu/
masc.other source · Latin CONSOBRĪNUM 'cousin'
Romanian
nepot
/neˈpot/
masc.inherited
The same word as grandson; nepot de frate makes it clear.
Catalan
nebot
/nəˈbɔt/
masc.inherited
The p softened to b, as French softened it to v (neveu).
English
nephew
/ˈnɛfju/
from Latin/French · Old French neveu
English → ItaliannephewnipoteCognateSame source — inherited, learned or borrowed. You can recognize it.What English and Italian share
The Latin ancestor
NEPŌTEM‘grandson; nephew’
All six sisters descend from it, unless marked otherwise below.
The story
French neveu is NEPŌTEM with its p softened to v. Spanish took the cousin word CONSOBRĪNUS, shortened to sobrino, for the nephew — the same Latin that French made into cousin.
English relatives: nephew, nepotism
Sound laws at work
Learn it
In a sentence
- esMi sobrino tiene tres años.
- frMon neveu a trois ans.
- itMio nipote ha tre anni.
- ptMeu sobrinho tem três anos.
- roNepotul meu are trei ani.
- caEl meu nebot té tres anys.
- enMy nephew is three.