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"skull" in seven languages

Meaningskull

Spanish

cráneo

/ˈkɾaneo/

masc.learned

A skull as an object (pirates, Halloween) is a calavera.

French

crâne

/kʁɑn/

masc.learned

Italian

cranio

/ˈkranjo/

masc.learned

A skull as an object is a teschio.

Portuguese

crânio

/ˈkɾɐ̃nju/

masc.learned

A skull as an object is a caveira.

Romanian

țeastă

/ˈtse̯astə/

fem.other source · Latin TESTA 'clay pot, shell'

Craniu is the anatomical word.

Catalan

crani

/ˈkɾani/

masc.learned

A skull as an object is a calavera.

English

skull

/skʌl/

other source · Middle English skulle, probably Scandinavian

English → ItalianskullcranioNot relatedDifferent sources — learn this one fresh. But English has relatives: cranium, cranial, migraine.What English and Italian share

The Latin ancestor

CRANIUM‘skull (Greek kraníon)’

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

The story

Five sisters took the skull from medical Latin. Romanian țeastă kept a homelier word, TESTA 'clay pot' — the same pot that became French tête and Italian testa 'head' — with T before ea turned into ț.

English relatives: cranium, cranial, migraine

Sound laws at work

Romanian T, D, S before i become ț, z, ș

Learn it

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In a sentence

  • esEl cráneo protege el cerebro.
  • frLe crâne protège le cerveau.
  • itIl cranio protegge il cervello.
  • ptO crânio protege o cérebro.
  • roȚeasta protejează creierul.
  • caEl crani protegeix el cervell.
  • enThe skull protects the brain.

More in The body

All The body words