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"rule" in seven languages

Meaningrule

Spanish

regla

/ˈregla/

fem.learned

Also the ruler you measure with.

French

règle

/ʁɛgl/

fem.learned

Also the ruler you measure with.

Italian

regola

/ˈrɛgola/

fem.learned

The ruler for drawing lines is il righello.

Portuguese

regra

/ˈhɛɡɾɐ/

fem.learned

A semi-learned form; the fully worn-down REGULAM is relha 'ploughshare'.

Romanian

regulă

/ˈreɡulə/

fem.learned

Catalan

regla

/ˈreɡlə/

fem.learned

English

rule

/ɹul/

from Latin/French · Old French riule

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

The Latin ancestor

RĒGULAM‘straight stick, ruler (from REGERE 'to guide')’

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

The story

The gl kept in regla and règle marks them as learned: in inherited words that cluster melted, as in OCULUM → ojo, œil. English rule is the Old French worn-down form.

English relatives: regular, regulate, regulation

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In a sentence

  • esEsas son las reglas del juego.
  • frCe sont les règles du jeu.
  • itQueste sono le regole del gioco.
  • ptEssas são as regras do jogo.
  • roAcestea sunt regulile jocului.
  • caAquestes són les regles del joc.
  • enThose are the rules of the game.

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