"to need" in seven languages
Meaningto need
Spanish
/neθesiˈtaɾ/
other source · learned, built on necesidad ← Latin NECESSITĀTEM 'necessity'
French
/avwaʁ bəzwɛ̃/
inherited
Literally 'to have need of'; nécessiter means 'to require', for things.
Italian
/aˈvere biˈzoɲɲo/
borrowed · Old French besoin / Old Occitan besonh
Portuguese
/pɾesiˈzah/
other source · Portuguese preciso 'necessary', from Latin PRAECĪSUM 'cut short' (learned)
Romanian
/aˈve̯a neˈvoje/
other source · nevoie 'need', from Slavic (Old Church Slavonic nevolja 'compulsion')
Catalan
/nəsəsiˈta/
other source · learned, built on necessitat ← Latin NECESSITĀTEM 'necessity'
English
/nid/
native English · Old English nēodian
The ancestor
Frankish *bisunnia‘care, need’
All six sisters descend from it, unless marked otherwise below.
The story
French and Italian 'have need' with a noun of Frankish origin; Spanish made a single verb out of learned necesidad. Spanish 'I need' is one word, necesito; French and Italian need three: j'ai besoin, ho bisogno.
English relatives: (Spanish necesitar) necessary, necessity
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In a sentence
- esNecesito ayuda.
- frJ'ai besoin d'aide.
- itHo bisogno di aiuto.
- ptPreciso de ajuda.
- roAm nevoie de ajutor.
- caNecessito ajuda.
- enI need help.
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- to get, to obtainobtenerobtenirottenereobterobțineobtenir
- to look (at)mirarregarderguardareolharuita (se)mirar
- to useusarutiliserusareusarfolosifer servir
- must, to have todeberdevoirdoveredevertrebuihaver de
- to showmostrarmontrermostraremostrararătaensenyar
- to keep (hold on to)guardargardertenereguardarpăstraguardar