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"on, above" in seven languages

Meaningon, above

Spanish

sobre

/ˈsobɾe/

inherited

In everyday speech en is just as common: en la mesa.

French

sur

/syʁ/

inherited

Shaped by the influence of Latin SURSUM 'upward'.

Italian

su

/su/

other source · Latin SŪSUM / SURSUM 'upward'

Portuguese

sobre

/ˈsobɾi/

inherited

In everyday speech em cima de 'on top of' or plain em (na mesa) is more common.

Romanian

pe

/pe/

other source · Latin PER 'through' (via Old Romanian pre)

Catalan

sobre

/ˈsobɾə/

inherited

English

on

/ɑn/

native English · Old English on

Native 'over' is the true distant cognate of SUPER (PIE *uper).

English → Italianon, abovesuNot relatedDifferent sources — learn this one fresh. But English has relatives: super, superior, sovereign, surface.What English and Italian share

The Latin ancestor

SUPER‘above, on’

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

The story

Spanish sobre shows the classic p → b between vowels. French sur blends SUPER with SURSUM 'upward'; Italian su comes from SURSUM alone.

English relatives: super, superior, sovereign, surface

Sound laws at work

Voiceless stops between vowels soften

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In a sentence

  • esEl libro está sobre la mesa.
  • frLe livre est sur la table.
  • itIl libro è sul tavolo.
  • ptO livro está em cima da mesa.
  • roCartea e pe masă.
  • caEl llibre és sobre la taula.
  • enThe book is on the table.

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