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"to turn" in seven languages

Meaningto turn

Spanish

girar

/xiˈɾaɾ/

other source · Late Latin GȲRĀRE, from Greek gŷros 'circle'

Turning a corner is also doblar; turning round is darse la vuelta.

French

tourner

/tuʁne/

inherited

Italian

girare

/dʒiˈrare/

other source · Late Latin GȲRĀRE, from Greek gŷros 'circle'

Turning a corner is also svoltare.

Portuguese

virar

/viˈɾah/

other source · of disputed origin (perhaps French virer)

Romanian

întoarce

/ɨnˈto̯artʃe/

other source · Latin *INTORQUERE 'to twist' (TORQUĒRE)

Turning at a corner is usually o lua la stânga / la dreapta.

Catalan

girar

/ʒiˈɾa/

other source · Late Latin GȲRĀRE, from Greek gŷros 'circle'

Barcelona also says tombar.

English

turn

/tɝn/

from Latin/French · Old English turnian (from Latin), reinforced by Old French torner

English → Italianto turngirareNot relatedDifferent sources — learn this one fresh. But English has relatives: tour, tournament, return, attorney; gyroscope (from GȲRĀRE).What English and Italian share

The Latin ancestor

TORNĀRE‘to turn on a lathe’

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

The story

French kept the carpenter's word, 'to work on a lathe'; Spanish and Italian took Greek 'to circle' (gyro), which shows the j-g split: Spanish x, Italian dʒ.

English relatives: tour, tournament, return, attorney; gyroscope (from GȲRĀRE)

Sound laws at work

Initial I- (J-) and G before E, I

Learn it

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In a sentence

  • esGira a la izquierda después de la iglesia.
  • frTournez à gauche après l'église.
  • itGira a sinistra dopo la chiesa.
  • ptVire à esquerda depois da igreja.
  • roIa-o la stânga după biserică.
  • caGira a l'esquerra després de l'església.
  • enTurn left after the church.

More words from the same Latin

More in Core verbs

All Core verbs words