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"pregnant" in seven languages

Meaningpregnant

Spanish

embarazada

/embaɾaˈθada/

other source · Spanish embarazar 'to hinder', probably from Portuguese embaraçar

French

enceinte

/ɑ̃sɛ̃t/

inherited

Italian

incinta

/inˈtʃinta/

inherited

Portuguese

grávida

/ˈgɾavidɐ/

other source · Latin GRAVIDAM 'heavy, pregnant' (learned)

Romanian

însărcinată

/ɨnsərtʃiˈnatə/

other source · Romanian însărcina 'to load', from sarcină 'burden' (Latin SARCINAM)

Catalan

embarassada

/əmbəɾəˈsadə/

other source · Catalan embarassar 'to encumber', probably via Spanish embarazar

Colloquial prenyada is the inherited word, from PRAEGNĀTAM.

English

pregnant

/ˈpɹɛɡnənt/

other source · Latin praegnantem

English → ItalianpregnantincintaNot relatedDifferent sources — learn this one fresh.What English and Italian share

Watch out: false friends

  • embarrassed (English) means “ashamed, awkward” · embarazada (Spanish) means “pregnant”

    Both go back to Ibero-Romance embarazar / embaraçar 'to hinder, encumber' (further origin uncertain); English got it through French embarrasser. Spanish narrowed 'encumbered' to 'pregnant', English to 'flustered'.

  • imbarazzata (Italian) means “embarrassed (fem.)” · embarazada (Spanish) means “pregnant”

    Same Ibero-Romance embarazar 'to hinder'. Italian imbarazzare kept 'to hinder, make awkward'; Spanish specialized the 'encumbered' woman.

  • embaraçada (Portuguese) means “embarrassed, awkward; tangled” · embarazada (Spanish) means “pregnant”

    The same Ibero-Romance verb, embaraçar / embarazar 'to hinder, encumber' (further origin uncertain). Portuguese kept 'hampered, flustered', close to English embarrassed; only Spanish narrowed it to 'pregnant'.

All false friends

The Latin ancestor

INCINCTAM‘pregnant (traditionally read as 'ungirded')’

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

The story

The classic false friend: Spanish embarazada means pregnant, not embarrassed (that is avergonzado). French and Italian go back to Late Latin INCINCTA, explained since antiquity as 'ungirt', a woman no longer wearing a belt.

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In a sentence

  • esMi hermana está embarazada.
  • frMa sœur est enceinte.
  • itMia sorella è incinta.
  • ptMinha irmã está grávida.
  • roSora mea este însărcinată.
  • caLa meva germana està embarassada.
  • enMy sister is pregnant.

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