"tool" in seven languages

Meaningtool

Spanish

herramienta

/eraˈmjenta/

fem.inherited

French

outil

/uti/

masc.other source · Late Latin *ŪSITILIUM, an alteration of ŪTENSĪLIA 'implements'

Italian

attrezzo

/atˈtrettso/

masc.other source · Italian attrezzare 'to equip', of disputed origin

Portuguese

ferramenta

/fehaˈmẽtɐ/

fem.inherited

Romanian

unealtă

/uˈne̯altə/

fem.other source · of uncertain origin

Catalan

eina

/ˈɛjnə/

fem.other source · of disputed origin

Valencian also says ferramenta, the inherited cognate.

English

tool

/tul/

native English · Old English tōl

English → ItaliantoolattrezzoNot relatedDifferent sources — learn this one fresh. But English has relatives: ferrous, farrier (from FERRUM 'iron'); utensil (French outil's source).What English and Italian share

The Latin ancestor

FERRĀMENTA‘iron implements’

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

The story

Spanish tools are 'ironware': the F- became a silent h and the stressed e split into ie. French outil comes from the same family as English utensil; Italian also says utensile and strumento.

English relatives: ferrous, farrier (from FERRUM 'iron'); utensil (French outil's source)

Sound laws at work

Spanish initial F- becomes h- (silent)Stressed short E breaks into ie

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