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"to weigh" in seven languages

Meaningto weigh

Spanish

pesar

/peˈsaɾ/

inherited

French

peser

/pəze/

inherited

Je pèse: the e opens when stressed.

Italian

pesare

/peˈsare/

inherited

Portuguese

pesar

/peˈzah/

inherited

Romanian

cântări

/kɨntəˈri/

other source · cântar 'steelyard, scales'

Catalan

pesar

/pəˈza/

inherited

English

weigh

/weɪ/

native English · Old English wegan

English → Italianto weighpesareNot relatedDifferent sources — learn this one fresh. But English has relatives: pensive, poise, pansy.What English and Italian share

The Latin ancestor

PĒNSĀRE‘to weigh (out); to ponder’

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

The story

PĒNSĀRE split in two: the old spoken branch lost its n (pesar, peser, pesare 'to weigh'), and a more bookish one kept it (pensar, penser, pensare 'to think'). Thinking is weighing things up.

English relatives: pensive, poise, pansy

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In a sentence

  • es¿Cuánto pesas?
  • frTu pèses combien ?
  • itQuanto pesi?
  • ptQuanto você pesa?
  • roCât cântărești?
  • caQuant peses?
  • enHow much do you weigh?

The Latin family

PEND-, PENS-· hang, weigh

PENSĀRE 'to weigh' already lost its n in spoken Latin (NS → S, as in MĒNSA → mesa), giving the inherited pesar, peser, pesare 'to weigh'. The Church and the schools kept the full form for 'weighing things in the mind', and pensar, penser, pensare 'to think' are that learned branch. French even has a third doublet: panser 'to dress (a wound)', originally just a spelling of penser 'to take care of'. Portuguese and Catalan keep both doublets (pesar beside pensar). Romanian kept only the worn-down one, as păsa 'to matter' (nu-mi pasă 'I don't care'), and thinks with gândi, a Hungarian loan.

  • PENSĀREto weigh

    espesarfrpeseritpesareptpesarropăsacapesar

  • PENSĀREto weigh in the mind, think

    espensarfrpenseritpensareptpensarcapensarenpensive

  • PENSUMa weight (of wool)

    espesofrpoidsitpesoptpesocapesenpoise

  • PENSIŌNEMa payment (weighed out)

    espensiónfrpensionitpensioneptpensãoropensiecapensióenpension

  • COMPENSĀREto weigh one thing against another

    escompensarfrcompenseritcompensareptcompensarrocompensacacompensarencompensate

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