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"proof, evidence" in seven languages

Meaningproof, evidence

Spanish

prueba

/ˈpɾweba/

fem.inherited

Also 'test' or 'try-out': una prueba de nivel.

French

preuve

/pʁœv/

fem.inherited

Italian

prova

/ˈprɔva/

fem.inherited

Also 'test, rehearsal': le prove dello spettacolo.

Portuguese

prova

/ˈpɾɔvɐ/

fem.inherited

Romanian

dovadă

/doˈvadə/

fem.other source · Slavic (cf. Old Church Slavonic dovodŭ)

plural: dovezi

Catalan

prova

/ˈpɾɔbə/

fem.inherited

English

proof

/pɹuf/

from Latin/French · Old French prueve, from Latin PROBĀRE

English → Italianproof, evidenceprovaCognateSame source — inherited, learned or borrowed. You can recognize it.What English and Italian share

The Latin ancestor

PROBĀRE‘to test, prove (PROBUS 'good')’

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

The story

Each noun is made from the verb (probar, prouver, provare). Stressed open o splits the classic way: ue in Spanish, eu in French, while Italian prova kept a plain open o.

English relatives: prove, probe, probable, approve

Sound laws at work

Stressed short O breaks into ue / uo / eu

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In a sentence

  • es¿Tienes pruebas?
  • frTu as des preuves ?
  • itHai delle prove?
  • ptVocê tem provas?
  • roAi dovezi?
  • caTens proves?
  • enDo you have proof?

More words from the same Latin

More in Ideas

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