"to speak, to talk" in seven languages
Meaningto speak, to talk
Spanish
/aˈblaɾ/
other source · Latin FABULĀRĪ 'to chat, tell stories'
Same root as fábula 'fable'; the F- became a silent h.
French
/paʁle/
inherited
Italian
/parˈlare/
inherited
Portuguese
/faˈlah/
other source · Latin FABULĀRĪ 'to chat, tell stories'
Romanian
/vorˈbi/
other source · from vorbă 'word, talk', of disputed origin (Latin VERBA or Slavic)
Catalan
/pərˈla/
inherited
English
/spik/
native English · Old English sprecan
The Latin ancestor
*PARABOLĀRE‘to speak (from Church Latin PARABOLA 'parable, word')’
All six sisters descend from it, unless marked otherwise below.
The story
Both words began as storytelling: French and Italian from the Gospel's PARABOLA 'parable', Spanish from FABULA 'tale'. Portuguese falar shows the same FABULĀRĪ with its f intact.
English relatives: parable, parley, parliament, parlour (PARABOLA); fable, fabulous (FABULA)
Sound laws at work
Learn it
In a sentence
- es¿Hablas italiano?
- frTu parles italien ?
- itParli italiano?
- ptVocê fala italiano?
- roVorbești italiană?
- caParles italià?
- enDo you speak Italian?