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"to release, to set free" in seven languages

Meaningto release, to set free

Spanish

liberar

/libeˈɾaɾ/

learned

French

libérer

/libeʁe/

learned

Italian

liberare

/libeˈrare/

learned

Portuguese

liberar

/libeˈɾah/

learned

Brazil prefers liberar here; libertar, built on liberto, is the more solemn 'to set free'.

Romanian

elibera

/elibeˈra/

learned

Catalan

alliberar

/əʎibəˈɾa/

other source · a Catalan formation on lliure 'free' (Latin LĪBERUM)

English

release

/ɹɪˈlis/

other source · Old French relaissier, from Latin RELAXĀRE

English → Italianto release, to set freeliberareNot relatedDifferent sources — learn this one fresh. But English has relatives: liberate, liberty, liberal, deliver (via French).What English and Italian share

The Latin ancestor

LĪBERĀRE‘to set free (LĪBER 'free')’

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

The story

All three are learned. The inherited French form is livrer, which slid from 'to free' to 'to hand over, deliver' — English deliver comes from its compound délivrer.

English relatives: liberate, liberty, liberal, deliver (via French)

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In a sentence

  • esLiberaron a los rehenes.
  • frIls ont libéré les otages.
  • itHanno liberato gli ostaggi.
  • ptOs sequestradores liberaram os reféns.
  • roAu eliberat ostaticii.
  • caHan alliberat els ostatges.
  • enThey released the hostages.

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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