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"to deliver (a package)" in seven languages

Meaningto deliver (a package)

Spanish

entregar

/entɾeˈgaɾ/

other source · Latin INTEGRĀRE 'to restore, make whole'

French

livrer

/livʁe/

inherited

Italian

consegnare

/konseɲˈɲare/

other source · Latin CONSIGNĀRE 'to seal, record'

Portuguese

entregar

/ẽtɾeˈgah/

other source · Latin INTEGRĀRE 'to restore, make whole'

Romanian

livra

/liˈvra/

borrowed · French livrer

Catalan

lliurar

/ʎiwˈɾa/

inherited

Catalan palatalizes initial l- and vocalizes the b: LĪBERĀRE → lliurar. Entregar is also heard.

English

deliver

/dɪˈlɪvɚ/

from Latin/French · Old French delivrer (de- + livrer)

It first meant 'to set free', a sense kept in 'deliver us from evil'.

English → Italianto deliver (a package)consegnareNot relatedDifferent sources — learn this one fresh. But English has relatives: liberate, liberty, livery.What English and Italian share

The Latin ancestor

LĪBERĀRE‘to set free’

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

The story

French 'delivers' by freeing something into your hands (LĪBERĀRE → livrer); Spanish 'makes whole' (entregar) and Italian 'consigns' (consegnare). English deliver is French livrer with a prefix.

English relatives: liberate, liberty, livery

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In a sentence

  • esMañana entregan el paquete.
  • frIls livrent le colis demain.
  • itDomani consegnano il pacco.
  • ptEles vão entregar o pacote amanhã.
  • roMâine livrează coletul.
  • caDemà lliuren el paquet.
  • enThey'll deliver the package tomorrow.

The Latin family

LĪBER-· free

LĪBERUM 'free' was so tied to law and the Church that in Spanish, French and Italian the adjective survives only in learned or semi-learned shapes (libre, libre, libero); Portuguese livre and Catalan lliure show more wear, and Romanian liber was taken from Latin. The verb LĪBERĀRE did run the popular course, turning into Spanish librar, Portuguese livrar, Catalan lliurar and French livrer 'to deliver' — the learned liberar, libérer is its doublet. Not to be confused with LIBRUM 'book' (short i, originally 'inner bark').

  • LĪBERUMfree

    eslibrefrlibreitliberoptlivrerolibercalliure

  • LĪBERTĀTEMfreedom

    eslibertadfrlibertéitlibertàptliberdaderolibertatecallibertatenliberty

  • LĪBERĀREto free; (legal) to hand over

    eslibrarfrlivrerptlivrarcalliurarendeliver

  • LĪBERĀREto set free (learned)

    esliberarfrlibéreritliberareptliberarroeliberaenliberate

  • LĪBERĀLEMbefitting a free man; generous

    esliberalfrlibéralitliberaleptliberalroliberalcaliberalenliberal

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