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"to start, to begin" in seven languages

Meaningto start, to begin

Spanish

empezar

/empeˈθaɾ/

other source · Spanish pieza 'piece' (of Gaulish origin): 'to cut the first piece'

Spanish also has comenzar, from the same *COMINITIĀRE as French and Italian.

French

commencer

/kɔmɑ̃se/

inherited

Italian

cominciare

/kominˈtʃare/

inherited

Portuguese

começar

/komeˈsah/

inherited

Romanian

începe

/ɨnˈtʃepe/

other source · Latin INCIPERE 'to begin'

Catalan

començar

/kumənˈsa/

inherited

English

start

/stɑɹt/

native English · Old English styrtan 'to leap'

English → Italianto start, to begincominciareNot relatedDifferent sources — learn this one fresh. But English has relatives: commence (via French), initial, initiate.What English and Italian share

The Latin ancestor

*COMINITIĀRE‘to begin (CUM + INITIĀRE)’

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

The story

Spoken Latin padded INITIĀRE 'to begin' with CUM-, giving commencer and cominciare. Everyday Spanish prefers empezar, 'to cut into the piece', though comenzar is just as correct.

English relatives: commence (via French), initial, initiate

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In a sentence

  • esLa película empieza a las ocho.
  • frLe film commence à huit heures.
  • itIl film comincia alle otto.
  • ptO filme começa às oito.
  • roFilmul începe la opt.
  • caLa pel·lícula comença a les vuit.
  • enThe film starts at eight.

More words from the same Latin

More in Core verbs

All Core verbs words