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"promotion (at work)" in seven languages

Meaningpromotion (at work)

Spanish

ascenso

/asˈθenso/

masc.other source · Latin ASCĒNSUM 'a going up' (learned)

Promoción is the commercial sense (a special offer) or a graduating class.

French

promotion

/pʁɔmɔsjɔ̃/

fem.learned

Also a special offer (en promotion) and a school year group (la promo).

Italian

promozione

/promotˈtsjone/

fem.learned

Also moving up a class at school, or a sports team going up a division.

Portuguese

promoção

/pɾomoˈsɐ̃w/

fem.learned

Also a sale price in a shop: está em promoção.

Romanian

promovare

/promoˈvare/

fem.learned

Catalan

ascens

/əsˈsens/

masc.other source · Latin ASCĒNSUM 'a going up' (learned)

English

promotion

/pɹəˈmoʊʃən/

from Latin/French · Old French promotion, from Latin

English → Italianpromotion (at work)promozioneCognateSame source — inherited, learned or borrowed. You can recognize it.What English and Italian share

The Latin ancestor

PRŌMŌTIŌNEM‘a moving forward’

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

The story

French, Italian and English 'move forward' (PRŌ + MOVĒRE); Spain's employees instead 'go up' with an ascenso, and ascender is 'to promote'.

English relatives: promote, motion, move

Sound laws at work

-TIŌNEM: learned -ción, inherited -zón

Learn it

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In a sentence

  • esLe dieron un ascenso.
  • frElle a eu une promotion.
  • itHa ottenuto una promozione.
  • ptEla ganhou uma promoção.
  • roA primit o promovare.
  • caLi han donat un ascens.
  • enShe got a promotion.

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