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"wheel" in seven languages

Meaningwheel

Spanish

rueda

/ˈrweda/

fem.inherited

French

roue

/ʁu/

fem.inherited

Italian

ruota

/ˈrwɔta/

fem.inherited

Portuguese

roda

/ˈhɔdɐ/

fem.inherited

Romanian

roată

/ˈro̯atə/

fem.inherited

Catalan

roda

/ˈrɔdə/

fem.inherited

English

wheel

/wil/

native English · Old English hweol

English → ItalianwheelruotaNot relatedDifferent sources — learn this one fresh. But English has relatives: rotate, rotary, roll, rodeo (via Spanish).What English and Italian share

The Latin ancestor

RŎTAM‘wheel’

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

The story

Short Ŏ in an open syllable: Spanish ue, Italian uo. Between vowels Spanish voices t to d (rueda), Italian keeps it, French loses it entirely (roue).

English relatives: rotate, rotary, roll, rodeo (via Spanish)

Sound laws at work

Stressed short O breaks into ue / uo / euVoiceless stops between vowels soften

Learn it

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In a sentence

  • esTenemos una rueda pinchada.
  • frOn a crevé une roue.
  • itAbbiamo una ruota a terra.
  • ptA gente está com um pneu furado.
  • roAvem o roată dezumflată.
  • caTenim una roda punxada.
  • enWe've got a flat tyre.

The Latin family

ROT-· wheel, roll

ROTA 'wheel' gave rueda, roue, ruota, and its diminutive ROTULUS 'little wheel, roll of parchment' rolled into roll — and, via the actors' scrolls of French theatre, into role. Spanish has rollo beside learned rótulo 'sign, label'. Portuguese and Catalan roda and Romanian roată (with its oa) carry on the wheel.

  • ROTAMwheel

    esruedafrroueitruotaptrodaroroatăcaroda

  • ROTUNDUMwheel-shaped, round

    esredondofrronditrotondoptredondororotundcarodóenround

  • ROTULUMlittle wheel; scroll

    esrollofrrouleauitrotoloptrolororuloucarotlleenroll

  • ROTĀREto turn like a wheel

    esrodaritruotareptrodarcarodarenrotate

Explore all Latin families

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