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"trade, craft" in seven languages

Meaningtrade, craft

Spanish

oficio

/oˈfiθjo/

masc.other source · Latin OFFICIUM 'duty, service' (semi-learned)

French

métier

/metje/

masc.inherited

Italian

mestiere

/mesˈtjɛre/

masc.borrowed · Old French mestier / Old Occitan mestier

Portuguese

ofício

/oˈfisju/

masc.other source · Latin OFFICIUM 'duty, service' (semi-learned)

Romanian

meserie

/meseˈrie/

fem.other source · of uncertain origin (a link to Latin MINISTERIUM has been proposed)

Catalan

ofici

/uˈfisi/

masc.other source · Latin OFFICIUM 'duty, service' (semi-learned)

English

trade

/tɹeɪd/

other source · Middle Low German trade 'track'

English → Italiantrade, craftmestiereNot relatedDifferent sources — learn this one fresh. But English has relatives: ministry, minister.What English and Italian share

The Latin ancestor

MINISTERIUM‘service, office’

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

The story

French wore MINISTERIUM down to Old French mestier, now métier (the é marks the lost s); Italian borrowed the medieval form. Spanish kept the same word as menester 'need'.

English relatives: ministry, minister

Learn it

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In a sentence

  • esAprendió el oficio de su padre.
  • frIl a appris le métier avec son père.
  • itHa imparato il mestiere da suo padre.
  • ptEle aprendeu o ofício com o pai.
  • roA învățat meseria de la tatăl lui.
  • caVa aprendre l'ofici del seu pare.
  • enHe learned his trade from his father.

More words from the same Latin

More in Work & money

All Work & money words