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"respect" in seven languages

Meaningrespect

Spanish

respeto

/resˈpeto/

masc.learned

With its c, respecto means 'regard': con respecto a 'regarding'.

French

respect

/ʁɛspɛ/

masc.learned

Italian

rispetto

/risˈpɛtto/

masc.learned

Portuguese

respeito

/hesˈpejtu/

masc.learned

A semi-learned word: the Latin -CT- has been popularised to -it-, as in efeito and perfeito.

Romanian

respect

/resˈpekt/

neut.borrowed · French respect

Catalan

respecte

/rəsˈpɛktə/

masc.learned

English

respect

/ɹɪˈspɛkt/

from Latin/French · Latin RESPECTUS (via French)

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

The Latin ancestor

RESPECTUM‘a looking back, regard (RESPICERE)’

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

The story

To respect someone is to look back at them, to give them a second look. Spanish dropped the c (respeto) and kept it in a doublet, respecto.

English relatives: respectable, inspect, spectator, spectacles

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In a sentence

  • esHay que tratar a todos con respeto.
  • frIl faut traiter tout le monde avec respect.
  • itBisogna trattare tutti con rispetto.
  • ptDevemos tratar todos com respeito.
  • roTrebuie să-i tratăm pe toți cu respect.
  • caHem de tractar tothom amb respecte.
  • enWe must treat everyone with respect.

The Latin family

SPEC-, SPECT-· look

SPECIĒS 'appearance, kind' split into a popular 'spice' (goods sorted by kind: especia, épice, spezie) and a learned 'species' (especie, espèce, specie). RESPECTUS 'a looking back' did the same: learned respect beside French répit and English respite, 'a second look, a delay'. Portuguese espelho 'mirror' and respeito show the popular branch too.

  • SPECIEMkind → wares, spice

    esespeciafrépiceitspezieptespeciariacaespèciaenspice

  • SPECIEMkind, species (learned)

    esespeciefrespèceitspecieptespécierospeciecaespècieenspecies

  • SPECULUMmirror

    esespejoitspecchioptespelhoenspeculum

  • RESPECTUMa looking back, regard

    esrespetofrrespectitrispettoptrespeitororespectcarespecteenrespect

  • SPECTĀCULUMa show

    esespectáculofrspectacleitspettacoloptespetáculorospectacolcaespectacleenspectacle

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