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"to reject" in seven languages

Meaningto reject

Spanish

rechazar

/retʃaˈθaɾ/

other source · Old French rechacier 'to drive back', from Vulgar Latin *CAPTIĀRE

French

rejeter

/ʁəʒte/

inherited

re- + jeter 'to throw'.

Italian

rifiutare

/rifjuˈtare/

other source · Latin REFŪTĀRE 'to drive back, refute'

Also respingere for proposals and candidates.

Portuguese

rejeitar

/heʒejˈtah/

inherited

Latin -CT- became -it- in Portuguese, as in FACTUM → feito.

Romanian

respinge

/resˈpindʒe/

other source · of disputed formation, related to împinge 'to push' (Latin IMPINGERE)

Catalan

rebutjar

/rəbuˈdʒa/

other source · of disputed origin, perhaps Germanic

English

reject

/ɹɪˈdʒɛkt/

from Latin/French · Latin REIECTUM 'thrown back'

English → Italianto rejectrifiutareNot relatedDifferent sources — learn this one fresh. But English has relatives: jet, eject, project; refute (it).What English and Italian share

The Latin ancestor

*IECTĀRE (IACTĀRE)‘to throw’

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

The story

French 'throws back' (rejeter, with jeter from IACTĀRE), like English reject; Spanish 'chases back' (rechazar, a cousin of chase) and Italian 'refutes' (rifiutare).

English relatives: jet, eject, project; refute (it)

Sound laws at work

Initial I- (J-) and G before E, I

Learn it

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In a sentence

  • esRechazaron mi propuesta.
  • frIls ont rejeté ma proposition.
  • itHanno rifiutato la mia proposta.
  • ptEles rejeitaram a minha proposta.
  • roMi-au respins propunerea.
  • caVan rebutjar la meva proposta.
  • enThey rejected my proposal.

More in Core verbs

All Core verbs words