"sun" in seven languages
Meaningsun
Spanish
sol
/sol/
masc.inherited
French
soleil
/sɔlɛj/
masc.inherited
Built on a Vulgar Latin diminutive, *SOLICULUM 'little sun'; plain SŌL was too short to survive in French.
Italian
sole
/ˈsole/
masc.inherited
Portuguese
sol
/sɔw/
masc.inherited
Romanian
soare
/ˈso̯are/
masc.inherited
Intervocalic -l- turned to -r-: SŌLEM → soare.
Catalan
sol
/sɔl/
masc.inherited
English
sun
/sʌn/
Indo-European kin · PIE *sóh₂wl̥ / *sh₂wén-
English → ItaliansunsoleDistant cognateRelated only through Indo-European, thousands of years back (night ~ noche). But English has relatives: solar, solstice, parasol.What English and Italian share
The Latin ancestor
SŌLEM (nom. SŌL)‘sun’
All six sisters descend from it, unless marked otherwise below.
The story
Spanish and Italian kept SŌLEM as it was; French wrapped it in an affectionate diminutive, the way it did with oreille (AURICULAM) for 'ear'.
English relatives: solar, solstice, parasol
Learn it
In a sentence
- esHoy el sol pega muy fuerte.
- frLe soleil tape fort aujourd'hui.
- itOggi il sole picchia forte.
- ptO sol está muito forte hoje.
- roSoarele e foarte puternic azi.
- caAvui el sol pica molt.
- enThe sun is very strong today.