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"thief" in seven languages

Meaningthief

Spanish

ladrón

/laˈdɾon/

masc.inherited

French

voleur

/vɔlœʁ/

masc.other source · French voler 'to steal', from voler 'to fly' (Latin VOLĀRE)

Italian

ladro

/ˈladro/

masc.inherited

From the nominative LATRO.

Portuguese

ladrão

/laˈdɾɐ̃w/

masc.inherited

Romanian

hoț

/hots/

masc.other source · of uncertain origin

Catalan

lladre

/ˈʎadɾə/

masc.inherited

From the nominative LATRO; Catalan turns initial l- into ll-.

English

thief

/θif/

native English · Old English þēof

plural: thieves

English → ItalianthiefladroNot relatedDifferent sources — learn this one fresh. But English has relatives: larceny (from LATRŌCINIUM).What English and Italian share

The Latin ancestor

LATRŌNEM (nom. LATRO)‘robber (first: hired soldier)’

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

The story

Spanish ladrón comes from the accusative, Italian ladro from the nominative; both voiced the t. French voleur comes from voler 'to fly': in falconry the hawk 'flew at' its prey, and the sense slid to stealing.

English relatives: larceny (from LATRŌCINIUM)

Sound laws at work

Voiceless stops between vowels soften

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In a sentence

  • esEl ladrón me robó la bici.
  • frLe voleur a volé mon vélo.
  • itIl ladro mi ha rubato la bici.
  • ptO ladrão roubou minha bicicleta.
  • roHoțul mi-a furat bicicleta.
  • caEl lladre em va robar la bici.
  • enThe thief stole my bike.

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