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"noise" in seven languages

Meaningnoise

Spanish

ruido

/ˈrwido/

masc.inherited

French

bruit

/bʁɥi/

masc.other source · bruire 'to rustle', of disputed origin

French noise survives only in chercher noise 'to pick a quarrel'.

Italian

rumore

/ruˈmore/

masc.other source · Latin RŪMŌREM 'murmur, rumour'

False friend: rumore is noise, not a rumour (that is una voce, una diceria).

Portuguese

barulho

/baˈɾuʎu/

masc.other source · of uncertain origin

Ruído, from RUGĪTUM, is more formal or technical.

Romanian

zgomot

/ˈzgomot/

neut.other source · of Slavic origin

Catalan

soroll

/suˈɾoʎ/

masc.other source · of uncertain origin

English

noise

/nɔɪz/

other source · Old French noise 'din, quarrel', of uncertain origin

English → ItaliannoiserumoreNot relatedDifferent sources — learn this one fresh. But English has relatives: (Italian rumore) rumour.What English and Italian share

The Latin ancestor

RUGĪTUM‘a roar’

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

The story

Spanish noise is a 'roar' (RUGĪTUM); Italian noise is a 'murmur' (RŪMŌREM), the same Latin word that gave English rumour. Watch the trap: Spanish rumor is a rumour, Italian rumore a noise.

English relatives: (Italian rumore) rumour

Learn it

Practice the Town & city deckQuiz a friend on it

In a sentence

  • es¿Qué es ese ruido?
  • frC'est quoi, ce bruit ?
  • itCos'è questo rumore?
  • ptQue barulho é esse?
  • roCe e zgomotul ăsta?
  • caQuè és aquest soroll?
  • enWhat's that noise?

More in Town & city

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