"vinegar" in seven languages
Meaningvinegar
Spanish
/biˈnagɾe/
masc.other source · Catalan vinagre 'sour wine' (Latin VĪNUM ĀCRE)
French
/vinɛgʁ/
masc.other source · compound vin 'wine' + aigre 'sour' (Latin ĀCREM)
Italian
/aˈtʃeto/
masc.inherited
l'aceto
Portuguese
/viˈnagɾi/
masc.other source · probably Catalan vinagre, from Latin VĪNUM ĀCRE 'sour wine'
Romanian
/oˈtset/
neut.borrowed · Old Church Slavonic ocĭtŭ (itself from Latin ACĒTUM)
Catalan
/biˈnagɾə/
masc.other source · Catalan vi 'wine' + agre 'sour' (Latin VĪNUM ĀCRE)
English
/ˈvɪnɪgɚ/
other source · Old French vinaigre (VĪNUM + ĀCREM 'sour wine')
The Latin ancestor
ACĒTUM‘vinegar’
All six sisters descend from it, unless marked otherwise below.
The story
Italian keeps the Roman word; French and Spanish say 'sour wine', and English borrowed the French version.
English relatives: acetic, acetone; vinegar (from French vinaigre)
Sound laws at work
Learn it
In a sentence
- esAceite y vinagre para la ensalada.
- frDe l'huile et du vinaigre pour la salade.
- itOlio e aceto per l'insalata.
- ptAzeite e vinagre para a salada.
- roUlei și oțet pentru salată.
- caOli i vinagre per a l'amanida.
- enOil and vinegar for the salad.