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"trap" in seven languages

Meaningtrap

Spanish

trampa

/ˈtɾampa/

fem.other source · uncertain; probably Germanic

Also 'cheating': hacer trampa.

French

piège

/pjɛʒ/

masc.other source · Latin PEDICAM 'snare for the feet'

Trappe, from the same Frankish word, is a trapdoor.

Italian

trappola

/ˈtrappola/

fem.inherited

A diminutive of the Germanic word.

Portuguese

armadilha

/ahmaˈdʒiʎɐ/

fem.other source · armar 'to set, arm' (Latin ARMĀRE) + -ilha

A mousetrap is a ratoeira.

Romanian

capcană

/kapˈkanə/

fem.other source · Turkish kapan

Catalan

parany

/pəˈɾaɲ/

masc.other source · of uncertain origin

English

trap

/tɹæp/

native English · Old English træppe

A Germanic relative of Frankish *trappa, not a borrowing.

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

The ancestor

Frankish *trappa‘snare, trap’

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

The story

Italian trappola and French trappe come from a Germanic word related to English trap; Spanish trampa is probably Germanic too, but its exact source is disputed. French catches with piège, a snare for the feet (PEDICA, from PĒS 'foot').

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In a sentence

  • esEl ratón cayó en la trampa.
  • frLa souris est tombée dans le piège.
  • itIl topo è caduto nella trappola.
  • ptO rato caiu na armadilha.
  • roȘoarecele a căzut în capcană.
  • caEl ratolí va caure al parany.
  • enThe mouse fell into the trap.

More words from the same Latin

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