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"to cut" in seven languages

Meaningto cut

Spanish

cortar

/koɾˈtaɾ/

inherited

French

couper

/kupe/

other source · French coup 'blow', from Latin COLAPHUM

Italian

tagliare

/taʎˈʎare/

other source · Late Latin TALIĀRE, from TALEA 'cutting, slip'

Portuguese

cortar

/kohˈtah/

inherited

Romanian

tăia

/təˈja/

other source · Late Latin TALIĀRE, from TALEA 'cutting, slip'

Catalan

tallar

/təˈʎa/

other source · Late Latin TALIĀRE, from TALEA 'cutting, slip'

English

cut

/kʌt/

other source · Middle English cutten, of uncertain (perhaps Scandinavian) origin

English → Italianto cuttagliareNot relatedDifferent sources — learn this one fresh. But English has relatives: curt, curtail; tailor (TALIĀRE).What English and Italian share

The Latin ancestor

CURTĀRE‘to shorten (from CURTUS 'short')’

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

The story

Three different cuts: Spanish 'shortens' (CURTĀRE), French 'strikes a blow' (coup), Italian 'makes a cutting' (TALEA) — the source of French tailler and English tailor.

English relatives: curt, curtail; tailor (TALIĀRE)

Learn it

Practice the Core verbs deckQuiz a friend on it

In a sentence

  • esCorta el pan, por favor.
  • frCoupe le pain, s'il te plaît.
  • itTaglia il pane, per favore.
  • ptCorte o pão, por favor.
  • roTaie pâinea, te rog.
  • caTalla el pa, si us plau.
  • enCut the bread, please.

More in Core verbs

All Core verbs words