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"ship" in seven languages

Meaningship

Spanish

barco

/ˈbaɾko/

masc.other source · barca 'boat', from Late Latin BARCA (of uncertain origin)

Buque for large vessels; nave survives for spaceships and church naves.

French

navire

/naviʁ/

masc.other source · Vulgar Latin *NĀVILIUM, a derivative of NĀVIS

Italian

nave

/ˈnave/

fem.inherited

Portuguese

navio

/naˈviu/

masc.other source · Latin NĀVIGIUM 'vessel' (from NĀVIS)

Romanian

navă

/ˈnavə/

fem.learned

Catalan

vaixell

/bəˈʃeʎ/

masc.other source · Latin VASCELLUM 'small vessel'

English

ship

/ʃɪp/

native English · Old English scip

English → ItalianshipnaveNot relatedDifferent sources — learn this one fresh. But English has relatives: navy, naval, navigate, nave.What English and Italian share

The Latin ancestor

NĀVEM (nom. NĀVIS)‘ship’

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

The story

Italian kept Latin NĀVIS as it was (and kept it feminine); French uses a derivative of the same word. Everyday Spanish switched to barco, a masculine twin of barca 'boat'.

English relatives: navy, naval, navigate, nave

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In a sentence

  • esEl barco salió del puerto al amanecer.
  • frLe navire a quitté le port à l'aube.
  • itLa nave ha lasciato il porto all'alba.
  • ptO navio saiu do porto ao amanhecer.
  • roNava a plecat din port în zori.
  • caEl vaixell va sortir del port a l'alba.
  • enThe ship left the port at dawn.

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