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Etymology of 'belle', 'bello', etc

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marmaduke | 17:07 Tue 12th Apr 2005 | Phrases & Sayings
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What is the Romance root of the words for beautiful/pretty in French ('belle') and Italian ('bello'). Surely not the Latin for war?
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Avatar Image kev100
Latin word for beautiful is Bellus
17:33 Tue 12th Apr 2005
Avatar Image kempie
... the feminine of which is bella.
17:35 Tue 12th Apr 2005
Avatar Image kev100
I should have said the latin for war is Bellum
17:39 Tue 12th Apr 2005
Avatar Image Hgrove
I think the adjective bellus/bella/bellum meant pretty and was not related to bellum = war.  Latin for beatiful was pulcher/pulchra/pulchrum.
22:23 Tue 12th Apr 2005
Avatar Image IndieSinger
Yes belle comes from the Old French bele which came from the Latin bella, which was the feminine form of bellus, which meant "beautiful, fair".
23:59 Tue 12th Apr 2005
Avatar Image Clare A
It's easy to trip over in unfamiliar languages. My dear Dad (78) who is re-learning his Italian, meant to say in class the other week 'I don't work'. What he said was 'I don't wash', much to the amusement of his classmates! The difference between 'lavore' & 'labore', or some such...
02:22 Wed 13th Apr 2005
Avatar Image marmaduke
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gratias ago

10:37 Wed 13th Apr 2005

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