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"place" in seven languages

Meaningplace

Spanish

lugar

/luˈɡaɾ/

masc.other source · Latin LOCĀLEM 'local', a derivative of LOCUS

Sitio is just as common.

French

lieu

/ljø/

masc.inherited

plural: lieux

Everyday French often says endroit.

Italian

luogo

/ˈlwɔɡo/

masc.inherited

Everyday Italian often says posto.

Portuguese

lugar

/luˈɡah/

masc.other source · Latin LOCĀLEM 'local', a derivative of LOCUS

Romanian

loc

/lok/

neut.inherited

Catalan

lloc

/ʎɔk/

masc.inherited

Catalan palatalised initial l-: LOCUM → lloc.

English

place

/pleɪs/

other source · Old French place ← Latin PLATEAM 'broad street'

English → ItalianplaceluogoNot relatedDifferent sources — learn this one fresh. But English has relatives: local, location, locomotive.What English and Italian share

The Latin ancestor

LOCUM‘place’

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

The story

English 'place' is a trap: its sisters are plaza, place, piazza — a town square. The Romance 'place' is LOCUS, with Italian uo and French ieu from the short stressed o.

English relatives: local, location, locomotive

Sound laws at work

Stressed short O breaks into ue / uo / eu

Learn it

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In a sentence

  • esEscribe tu lugar de nacimiento.
  • frÉcrivez votre lieu de naissance.
  • itScrivi il tuo luogo di nascita.
  • ptEscreva o seu local de nascimento.
  • roScrie locul nașterii.
  • caEscriu el teu lloc de naixement.
  • enWrite your place of birth.

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