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"soap" in seven languages

Meaningsoap

Spanish

jabón

/xaˈbon/

masc.inherited

The j- (Old Spanish x-) is irregular, probably an s- heard through Arabic or Mozarabic.

French

savon

/savɔ̃/

masc.inherited

Italian

sapone

/saˈpone/

masc.inherited

Portuguese

sabão

/saˈbɐ̃w/

masc.inherited

A bar of toilet soap is sabonete.

Romanian

săpun

/səˈpun/

neut.inherited

Catalan

sabó

/səˈbo/

masc.inherited

Plural sabons: the lost n comes back.

English

soap

/soʊp/

native English · Old English sāpe

Latin SAPŌ was itself probably a Germanic or Gaulish loan, so soap and savon may share a root.

English → ItaliansoapsaponeNot relatedDifferent sources — learn this one fresh. But English has relatives: saponify.What English and Italian share

The Latin ancestor

SAPŌNEM‘soap’

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

The story

One word, several western habits: P → b or v (jabón, savon, sabão, sabó), Portuguese -ão from a lost -n-, and Catalan dropping the final n (sabó, plural sabons). Italian sapone keeps the Latin shape.

English relatives: saponify

Sound laws at work

Voiceless stops between vowels softenPortuguese loses single N between vowelsCatalan drops -n at the end of a word

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In a sentence

  • esLávate las manos con jabón.
  • frLave-toi les mains avec du savon.
  • itLavati le mani con il sapone.
  • ptLave bem as mãos com água e sabão.
  • roSpală-te pe mâini cu săpun.
  • caRenta't les mans amb sabó.
  • enWash your hands with soap.

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