"right (entitlement); law (as a field)" in seven languages
Meaningright (entitlement); law (as a field)
Spanish
derecho
/deˈɾetʃo/
masc.inherited
French
droit
/dʁwa/
masc.inherited
Italian
diritto
/diˈritto/
masc.inherited
Portuguese
direito
/dʒiˈɾejtu/
masc.inherited
Romanian
drept
/drept/
neut.inherited
plural: drepturi
Romanian turns -CT- into -pt-: DĪRĒCTUM → drept, like NOCTEM → noapte.
Catalan
dret
/dret/
masc.inherited
English
right
/ɹaɪt/
Indo-European kin · PIE *h₃reǵ- 'straight'
English → Italianright (entitlement); law (as a field)dirittoDistant cognateRelated only through Indo-European, thousands of years back (night ~ noche). But English has relatives: direct, address, dress.What English and Italian share
The Latin ancestor
DĪRĒCTUM (VL DĒRĒCTUM)‘straight; what is straight, right’
All six sisters descend from it, unless marked otherwise below.
The story
What is 'straight' is right. CT gives the full set: ch, it, tt. All three also mean 'law' as a subject (estudiar derecho, faire du droit) and, as adjectives, 'right-hand'.
English relatives: direct, address, dress
Sound laws at work
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In a sentence
- esLos derechos humanos.
- frLes droits de l'homme.
- itI diritti umani.
- ptOs direitos humanos.
- roDrepturile omului.
- caEls drets humans.
- enHuman rights.