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"to swear (an oath)" in seven languages

Meaningto swear (an oath)

Spanish

jurar

/xuˈɾaɾ/

inherited

French

jurer

/ʒyʁe/

inherited

Like English swear, it can also mean 'to curse'.

Italian

giurare

/dʒuˈrare/

inherited

Portuguese

jurar

/ʒuˈɾah/

inherited

Romanian

jura

/ʒuˈra/

inherited

Catalan

jurar

/ʒuˈɾa/

inherited

English

swear

/swɛɹ/

native English · Old English swerian

English → Italianto swear (an oath)giurareNot relatedDifferent sources — learn this one fresh. But English has relatives: jury, juror, perjury, justice.What English and Italian share

The Latin ancestor

IŪRĀRE‘to swear (from IŪS 'law, right')’

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

The story

Swearing in Latin was a legal act, built on IŪS 'law'. Initial I- became Spanish j [x], French j [ʒ] and Italian gi, and French fronted the long u to [y].

English relatives: jury, juror, perjury, justice

Sound laws at work

Initial I- (J-) and G before E, IFrench fronts long U to [y]

Learn it

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In a sentence

  • esTe juro que es verdad.
  • frJe te jure que c'est vrai.
  • itTi giuro che è vero.
  • ptJuro que é verdade.
  • roJur că e adevărat.
  • caEt juro que és veritat.
  • enI swear it's true.

More words from the same Latin

More in Core verbs

All Core verbs words