"silent, quiet" in seven languages
Meaningsilent, quiet
Spanish
silencioso
/silenˈθjoso/
learned
French
silencieux
/silɑ̃sjø/
learned
fem.: silencieuse
As a noun, un silencieux is a gun's silencer.
Italian
silenzioso
/silenˈtsjoso/
learned
Portuguese
silencioso
/silẽsiˈozu/
learned
Romanian
liniștit
/liniʃˈtit/
other source · liniște 'quiet', built on lin 'calm, gentle' (of disputed origin)
Catalan
silenciós
/silənsiˈos/
learned
English
silent
/ˈsaɪlənt/
from Latin/French · Latin SILENS, SILENTEM 'being silent'
English → Italiansilent, quietsilenziosoCognateSame source — inherited, learned or borrowed. You can recognize it.What English and Italian share
The Latin ancestor
SILENTIUM‘silence’
All six sisters descend from it, unless marked otherwise below.
The story
English uses the Latin participle (silent); the sisters add -oso/-eux to the noun, 'full of silence'. For a person keeping quiet, Spanish and Italian also say callado and zitto.
English relatives: silence, silent
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In a sentence
- esLa calle estaba completamente silenciosa.
- frLa rue était complètement silencieuse.
- itLa strada era completamente silenziosa.
- ptA rua estava completamente silenciosa.
- roStrada era complet liniștită.
- caEl carrer estava completament silenciós.
- enThe street was completely silent.