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"wave (of the sea)" in seven languages

Meaningwave (of the sea)

Spanish

ola

/ˈola/

fem.other source · of disputed origin

Onda (UNDAM) is the physics word: onda sonora.

French

vague

/vaɡ/

fem.other source · Old Norse vágr 'sea'

Onde (UNDAM) is the physics and radio word.

Italian

onda

/ˈonda/

fem.inherited

Portuguese

onda

/ˈõdɐ/

fem.inherited

Romanian

val

/val/

neut.other source · Slavic val

plural: valuri

Catalan

onada

/uˈnadə/

fem.inherited

Built on ona (UNDAM) + -ada; ona alone is the wave of physics and radio.

English

wave

/weɪv/

native English · Middle English, of Germanic origin

English → Italianwave (of the sea)ondaNot relatedDifferent sources — learn this one fresh. But English has relatives: undulate, abound, inundate, redundant.What English and Italian share

The Latin ancestor

UNDAM‘wave’

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

The story

Only Italian rides the sea on Latin UNDA; Spanish and French keep onda/onde for radio and sound waves. French vague is a Viking word.

English relatives: undulate, abound, inundate, redundant

Learn it

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In a sentence

  • esHoy las olas son enormes.
  • frLes vagues sont énormes aujourd'hui.
  • itOggi le onde sono enormi.
  • ptAs ondas estão enormes hoje.
  • roValurile sunt uriașe azi.
  • caAvui les onades són enormes.
  • enThe waves are huge today.

More in Nature & weather

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