"to dance" in seven languages
Meaningto dance
Spanish
/baiˈlaɾ/
borrowed · probably Old Occitan
Danzar, from French, is used for formal or ritual dance.
French
/dɑ̃se/
other source · Old French dancier, of uncertain origin
Italian
/balˈlare/
inherited
Portuguese
/dɐ̃ˈsah/
other source · French danser (Old French dancier, of uncertain origin)
Romanian
/danˈsa/
other source · French danser
Catalan
/bəˈʎa/
inherited
English
/dæns/
other source · Old French dancier, of uncertain origin
The Latin ancestor
BALLĀRE‘to dance (Late Latin, from Greek)’
All six sisters descend from it, unless marked otherwise below.
The story
Late Latin BALLĀRE gave Italian ballare and, probably by way of Occitan, Spanish bailar. French danser has no agreed source, and English took dance from French.
English relatives: ball (the dance), ballet, ballad
Learn it
In a sentence
- es¿Quieres bailar?
- frTu veux danser ?
- itVuoi ballare?
- ptVocê quer dançar?
- roVrei să dansezi?
- caVols ballar?
- enDo you want to dance?
More in Core verbs
- to comparecompararcomparerconfrontarecompararcomparacomparar
- to imagineimaginarimaginerimmaginareimaginarimaginaimaginar
- to protectprotegerprotégerproteggereprotegerprotejaprotegir
- to chooseelegirchoisirscegliereescolheralegetriar
- to touchtocartouchertoccaretocaratingetocar
- to catchatraparattraperprenderepegarprindeagafar