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"ticket" in seven languages

Meaningticket

Spanish

billete

/biˈʝete/

masc.borrowed · French billet

Also a banknote. Latin America says boleto; tickets for shows are entradas.

French

billet

/bijɛ/

masc.inherited

Altered from Old French bullette 'little sealed document'; also a banknote.

Italian

biglietto

/biʎˈʎetto/

masc.borrowed · French billet

Portuguese

passagem

/paˈsaʒẽj/

fem.other source · from passar 'to pass' (Latin *PASSĀRE)

A travel ticket in Brazil; in Portugal (and for shows) it is bilhete, from French billet.

Romanian

bilet

/biˈlet/

neut.borrowed · French billet

Catalan

bitllet

/biʎˈʎɛt/

masc.borrowed · French billet

English

ticket

/ˈtɪkɪt/

other source · Middle French étiquet 'label', from Old French estiquier 'to attach' (Germanic)

English → ItalianticketbigliettoNot relatedDifferent sources — learn this one fresh. But English has relatives: bill, bulletin, (papal) bull.What English and Italian share

The Latin ancestor

BULLAM‘seal, sealed document (Medieval Latin)’

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

The story

A ticket was once a little sealed note. Spanish and Italian borrowed the French word and dressed it in their own diminutives (-ete, -etto).

English relatives: bill, bulletin, (papal) bull

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In a sentence

  • esUn billete de ida y vuelta a Madrid, por favor.
  • frUn aller-retour pour Madrid, s'il vous plaît.
  • itUn biglietto di andata e ritorno per Madrid, per favore.
  • ptUma passagem de ida e volta para Madri, por favor.
  • roUn bilet dus-întors la Madrid, vă rog.
  • caUn bitllet d'anada i tornada a Madrid, si us plau.
  • enA return ticket to Madrid, please.

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