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"to walk" in seven languages

Meaningto walk

Spanish

caminar

/kamiˈnaɾ/

inherited

Built on camino 'road'; andar is just as common in Spain.

French

marcher

/maʁʃe/

other source · probably Frankish *markōn 'to mark, to tread'

Also 'to work, function': ça marche!

Italian

camminare

/kammiˈnare/

inherited

Built on cammino 'way'.

Portuguese

caminhar

/kamiˈɲah/

inherited

Romanian

merge pe jos

/ˈmerdʒe pe ʒos/

other source · merge 'to go', from Latin MERGERE 'to dip, to sink'

Literally 'go on foot'; a leisurely walk is se plimba.

Catalan

caminar

/kəmiˈna/

inherited

English

walk

/wɔk/

native English · Old English wealcan 'to roll, toss'

English → Italianto walkcamminareNot relatedDifferent sources — learn this one fresh.What English and Italian share

The Latin ancestor

CAMMĪNUM (Late Latin, from Celtic)‘road, way’

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

The story

Spanish and Italian walk 'along the road', from a Celtic word that entered Latin in Gaul; French has the same noun (chemin) but walks with marcher, originally 'to leave footprints'.

Learn it

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In a sentence

  • esCaminamos por la playa.
  • frNous avons marché le long de la plage.
  • itAbbiamo camminato lungo la spiaggia.
  • ptCaminhamos pela praia.
  • roAm mers pe jos de-a lungul plajei.
  • caVam caminar per la platja.
  • enWe walked along the beach.

More in Core verbs

All Core verbs words