"public" in seven languages

Meaningpublic

Spanish

público

/ˈpubliko/

learned

Also a noun: el público 'the audience'.

French

public

/pyblik/

learned

fem.: publique

Italian

pubblico

/ˈpubbliko/

learned

Italian doubles the b before l.

Portuguese

público

/ˈpubliku/

learned

Romanian

public

/ˈpublik/

learned

Catalan

públic

/ˈpublik/

learned

English

public

/ˈpʌblɪk/

from Latin/French · Old French public, from Latin PŪBLICUS

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

The Latin ancestor

PŪBLICUM‘of the people, of the state’

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

A learned word everywhere, so the four look almost alike. Watch the French feminine, publique, and the Italian double b.

English relatives: publish, publication, republic