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"question" in seven languages

Meaningquestion

Spanish

pregunta

/pɾeˈgunta/

fem.other source · Spanish preguntar, from Latin PERCONTĀRĪ 'to inquire'

French

question

/kɛstjɔ̃/

fem.learned

Italian

domanda

/doˈmanda/

fem.other source · Italian domandare, from Latin DĒMANDĀRE 'to entrust'

Portuguese

pergunta

/pehˈɡũtɐ/

fem.other source · Portuguese perguntar, from Latin PERCONTĀRĪ 'to inquire'

Romanian

întrebare

/ɨntreˈbare/

fem.other source · Romanian întreba 'to ask', from Latin INTERROGĀRE

Catalan

pregunta

/pɾəˈɡuntə/

fem.other source · Catalan preguntar, from Latin PERCONTĀRĪ 'to inquire'

English

question

/ˈkwɛstʃən/

from Latin/French · Anglo-Norman questiun

English → ItalianquestiondomandaNot relatedDifferent sources — learn this one fresh. But English has relatives: question, quest, inquest.What English and Italian share

The Latin ancestor

QUAESTIŌNEM‘inquiry, investigation’

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

The story

Spanish cuestión and Italian questione exist but mean 'issue, matter'; to ask a question you need pregunta and domanda. French demande is a request, not a question.

English relatives: question, quest, inquest

Sound laws at work

-TIŌNEM: learned -ción, inherited -zón

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In a sentence

  • es¿Puedo hacer una pregunta?
  • frJe peux poser une question ?
  • itPosso fare una domanda?
  • ptPosso fazer uma pergunta?
  • roPot să pun o întrebare?
  • caPuc fer una pregunta?
  • enCan I ask a question?

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