"tree" in seven languages
Meaningtree
Spanish
árbol
/ˈaɾbol/
masc.inherited
French
arbre
/aʁbʁ/
masc.inherited
Italian
albero
/ˈalbero/
masc.inherited
Also 'mast' of a ship.
Portuguese
árvore
/ˈahvoɾi/
fem.inherited
Romanian
copac
/koˈpak/
masc.other source · of uncertain origin
arbore, the Latin word, exists but is bookish.
Catalan
arbre
/ˈarbɾə/
masc.inherited
English
tree
/tɹi/
native English · Old English trēow
English → ItaliantreealberoNot relatedDifferent sources — learn this one fresh. But English has relatives: arboreal, arboretum, arbour.What English and Italian share
The Latin ancestor
ARBOREM (nom. ARBOR)‘tree’
All six sisters descend from it, unless marked otherwise below.
The story
Latin ARBOR was feminine, but all three sisters made it masculine. Spanish and Italian dissimilated one of the two r's into an l — in opposite places (árbol, albero).
English relatives: arboreal, arboretum, arbour
Learn it
In a sentence
- esLos niños juegan debajo del árbol.
- frLes enfants jouent sous l'arbre.
- itI bambini giocano sotto l'albero.
- ptAs crianças estão brincando debaixo da árvore.
- roCopiii se joacă sub copac.
- caEls nens juguen sota l'arbre.
- enThe children are playing under the tree.