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"to belong" in seven languages

Meaningto belong

Spanish

pertenecer

/peɾteneˈθeɾ/

inherited

PERTINĒRE without the ad- prefix, extended with -ecer.

French

appartenir

/apaʁtəniʁ/

inherited

Italian

appartenere

/apparteˈnere/

inherited

Portuguese

pertencer

/pehtẽˈseh/

inherited

Romanian

aparține

/aparˈtsine/

borrowed · French appartenir

Catalan

pertànyer

/pərˈtaɲə/

inherited

English

belong

/bɪˈlɔŋ/

native English · Middle English bilongen, from Old English langian

English → Italianto belongappartenereNot relatedDifferent sources — learn this one fresh. But English has relatives: pertain, pertinent, appurtenance.What English and Italian share

The Latin ancestor

PERTINĒRE (Late Latin also APPERTINĒRE)‘to extend to, concern’

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

The story

All three build on PERTINĒRE 'to reach to'; French and Italian add the Late Latin prefix ad-, Spanish the inchoative -ecer. English pertain is the learned cousin.

English relatives: pertain, pertinent, appurtenance

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In a sentence

  • esEste libro pertenece a mi hermana.
  • frCe livre appartient à ma sœur.
  • itQuesto libro appartiene a mia sorella.
  • ptEste livro pertence à minha irmã.
  • roCartea aceasta îi aparține surorii mele.
  • caAquest llibre pertany a la meva germana.
  • enThis book belongs to my sister.

More in Core verbs

All Core verbs words