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"to shake" in seven languages

Meaningto shake

Spanish

sacudir

/sakuˈdiɾ/

inherited

Agitar is used for shaking a bottle; temblar for trembling.

French

secouer

/səkwe/

inherited

Remade from Old French secorre.

Italian

scuotere

/ˈskwɔtere/

other source · Latin EXCUTERE 'to shake out', from the same root QUATERE

Portuguese

sacudir

/sakuˈdʒih/

inherited

Romanian

scutura

/skutuˈra/

other source · Latin *EXCUTULĀRE, from EXCUTERE 'to shake out'

Catalan

sacsejar

/səksəˈʒa/

other source · of uncertain origin

English

shake

/ʃeɪk/

native English · Old English sceacan

English → Italianto shakescuotereNot relatedDifferent sources — learn this one fresh. But English has relatives: percussion, concussion, quash.What English and Italian share

The Latin ancestor

SUCCUTERE‘to shake from below (SUB + QUATERE)’

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

The story

Latin QUATERE 'to shake' lives on in prefixed forms: SUCCUTERE gave Spanish sacudir and French secouer, EXCUTERE gave Italian scuotere. English percussion and concussion are learned members of the family.

English relatives: percussion, concussion, quash

Sound laws at work

Voiceless stops between vowels soften

Learn it

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In a sentence

  • esSacude el mantel fuera.
  • frSecoue la nappe dehors.
  • itScuoti la tovaglia fuori.
  • ptSacuda a toalha lá fora.
  • roScutură fața de masă afară.
  • caSacseja les estovalles a fora.
  • enShake the tablecloth outside.

More in Core verbs

All Core verbs words