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"to call" in seven languages

Meaningto call

Spanish

llamar

/ʝaˈmaɾ/

inherited

Me llamo… 'my name is' is literally 'I call myself'.

French

appeler

/aple/

other source · Latin APPELLĀRE 'to address, call by name'

Je m'appelle… likewise 'I call myself'.

Italian

chiamare

/kjaˈmare/

inherited

Mi chiamo… 'my name is'.

Portuguese

chamar

/ʃaˈmah/

inherited

On the phone Brazilians say ligar (me liga).

Romanian

chema

/keˈma/

inherited

On the phone Romanian says suna (sună-mă).

Catalan

cridar

/kɾiˈda/

other source · Latin QUIRĪTĀRE 'to cry out'

On the phone Catalan says trucar (truca'm).

English

call

/kɔl/

native English · Old Norse kalla

English → Italianto callchiamareNot relatedDifferent sources — learn this one fresh. But English has relatives: claim, clamour, exclaim, proclaim (CLĀMĀRE); appeal (APPELLĀRE).What English and Italian share

The Latin ancestor

CLĀMĀRE‘to shout, call out’

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

The story

A clean CL- pair: CLĀMĀRE gives Spanish ll- and Italian chi-. French chose APPELLĀRE instead, but all three introduce themselves the same way: 'I call myself'.

English relatives: claim, clamour, exclaim, proclaim (CLĀMĀRE); appeal (APPELLĀRE)

Sound laws at work

CL-, PL-, FL- at the start of a word

Learn it

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In a sentence

  • esLlámame mañana.
  • frAppelle-moi demain.
  • itChiamami domani.
  • ptMe liga amanhã.
  • roSună-mă mâine.
  • caTruca'm demà.
  • enCall me tomorrow.

More words from the same Latin

More in Core verbs

All Core verbs words