"possession" in seven languages
Meaningpossession
Spanish
posesión
/poseˈsjon/
fem.learned
French
possession
/pɔsesjɔ̃/
fem.learned
Italian
possesso
/posˈsɛsso/
masc.other source · Latin POSSESSUM, participle of POSSIDĒRE (learned)
Possessione exists but is literary or means a landed estate.
Portuguese
posse
/ˈpɔsi/
fem.other source · Latin POSSE 'to be able', used as a noun
Possessão is mostly demonic possession.
Romanian
posesie
/poˈsesie/
fem.learned
Catalan
possessió
/pusəsiˈo/
fem.learned
English
possession
/pəˈzɛʃən/
from Latin/French · Old French possession
English → ItalianpossessionpossessoNot relatedDifferent sources — learn this one fresh. But English has relatives: possess, possessive.What English and Italian share
The Latin ancestor
POSSESSIŌNEM‘a holding, occupation (POSSIDĒRE)’
All six sisters descend from it, unless marked otherwise below.
The story
Spanish simplifies the double s (posesión); Italian prefers the shorter possesso, built on the participle.
English relatives: possess, possessive
Learn it
In a sentence
- esLa casa está en su posesión.
- frLa maison est en sa possession.
- itLa casa è in suo possesso.
- ptA casa está em posse dele.
- roCasa este în posesia lui.
- caLa casa és en possessió seva.
- enThe house is in his possession.