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"to remind" in seven languages

Meaningto remind

Spanish

recordar

/rekoɾˈdaɾ/

inherited

Also 'to remember'; stressed forms diphthongize: recuerdo.

French

rappeler

/ʁaple/

other source · re- + appeler (Latin APPELLĀRE 'to call')

Also 'to call back' on the phone.

Italian

ricordare

/rikorˈdare/

inherited

Also 'to remember'.

Portuguese

lembrar

/lẽˈbɾah/

other source · Latin MEMORĀRE 'to bring to mind, mention'

Romanian

aminti

/aminˈti/

other source · a- + minte 'mind' (Latin MENTEM)

Catalan

recordar

/rəkuɾˈda/

inherited

English

remind

/ɹɪˈmaɪnd/

native English · re- + mind (Old English gemynd)

A hybrid: Latin prefix on a native English word.

English → Italianto remindricordareNot relatedDifferent sources — learn this one fresh. But English has relatives: record, cordial, accord.What English and Italian share

The Latin ancestor

RECORDĀRĪ‘to call to mind (COR 'heart')’

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

The story

Latin remembered 'by heart' (COR, CORDIS): RECORDĀRĪ gave Spanish recordar and Italian ricordare, both 'remind' and 'remember'. French 'calls back' (rappeler).

English relatives: record, cordial, accord

Sound laws at work

Stressed short O breaks into ue / uo / eu

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In a sentence

  • esRecuérdame que llame a mi madre.
  • frRappelle-moi d'appeler ma mère.
  • itRicordami di chiamare mia madre.
  • ptMe lembra de ligar para a minha mãe.
  • roAmintește-mi să o sun pe mama.
  • caRecorda'm que truqui a la mare.
  • enRemind me to call my mother.

The Latin family

COR, CORD-· heart

COR was a short neuter noun; French and Italian kept it (cœur, cuore), while Spanish replaced it with an augmentative *CORĀTIŌNE → corazón. The oblique stem CORD- lives on in learned words, and the Romans located memory in the heart: RECORDĀRĪ is 'to bring back to heart'. Catalan kept cor; Portuguese shares coração with Spanish; Romanian calls the heart inimă, from ANIMA 'breath, soul'.

  • CORheart

    frcœuritcuorecacor

  • *CORĀTIŌNEMbig heart (augmentative)

    escorazónptcoração

  • CORDIĀLEM (Medieval Latin)of the heart

    escordialfrcordialitcordialeptcordialrocordialcacordialencordial

  • RECORDĀRĪto call to mind

    esrecordaritricordareptrecordarcarecordarenrecord

  • CONCORDIAMagreement, 'hearts together'

    esconcordiafrconcordeitconcordiaptconcórdiaroconcordiecaconcòrdiaenconcord

  • COR + -ĀTICUM (Old French formation)heart-ness, spirit

    escorajefrcourageitcoraggioptcoragemrocurajcacoratgeencourage

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