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"tax" in seven languages

Meaningtax

Spanish

impuesto

/imˈpwesto/

masc.learned

The participle of imponer, a verb taken from Latin and fitted to poner, hence the puesto-like shape.

French

impôt

/ɛ̃po/

masc.learned

Borrowed in the Middle Ages as impost; the s later fell silent, leaving the circumflex.

Italian

tassa

/ˈtassa/

fem.other source · Italian tassare, Latin TAXĀRE 'to assess'

Imposta is the official term, but everyday Italians pay le tasse.

Portuguese

imposto

/ĩˈpostu/

masc.learned

Romanian

impozit

/imˈpozit/

neut.learned

Catalan

impost

/imˈpɔst/

masc.learned

English

tax

/tæks/

other source · Old French taxer, Latin TAXĀRE 'to assess'

English → ItaliantaxtassaNot relatedDifferent sources — learn this one fresh. But English has relatives: impose, imposition, impost.What English and Italian share

The Latin ancestor

IMPOSITUM‘laid on, imposed’

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

The story

For Spain and France a tax is something 'laid on' you (IMPOSITUM). Italian tassa and English tax both come from TAXĀRE, 'to assess'.

English relatives: impose, imposition, impost

Sound laws at work

French loses S before a consonant (^)

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In a sentence

  • esPagamos muchos impuestos.
  • frOn paie beaucoup d'impôts.
  • itPaghiamo molte tasse.
  • ptPagamos muitos impostos.
  • roPlătim multe impozite.
  • caPaguem molts impostos.
  • enWe pay a lot of taxes.

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