Skip to content

"symbol" in seven languages

Meaningsymbol

Spanish

símbolo

/ˈsimbolo/

masc.learned

French

symbole

/sɛ̃bɔl/

masc.learned

Italian

simbolo

/ˈsimbolo/

masc.learned

Portuguese

símbolo

/ˈsĩbolu/

masc.learned

Romanian

simbol

/simˈbol/

neut.learned

Catalan

símbol

/ˈsimbul/

masc.learned

English

symbol

/ˈsɪmbəl/

from Latin/French · Latin SYMBOLUM, from Greek

English → ItaliansymbolsimboloCognateSame source — inherited, learned or borrowed. You can recognize it.What English and Italian share

The Latin ancestor

SYMBOLUM‘token, sign (Greek sýmbolon)’

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

The story

A Greek sýmbolon was a token broken in two, each party keeping a half to match later. Only French keeps the Greek y; Spanish and Italian stress the first syllable.

English relatives: symbolic, symbolize

Learn it

Practice the Ideas deckQuiz a friend on it

In a sentence

  • esLa paloma es un símbolo de paz.
  • frLa colombe est un symbole de paix.
  • itLa colomba è un simbolo di pace.
  • ptA pomba é um símbolo da paz.
  • roPorumbelul este un simbol al păcii.
  • caEl colom és un símbol de la pau.
  • enThe dove is a symbol of peace.

More in Ideas

All Ideas words