Translation
to quote, to cite
Word origin
From Latin citare, 'to summon, to call forth', the frequentative of ciere, 'to set in motion'. A quotation summons somebody else's words into your argument, which is the original legal sense of citing a witness.
- Origin
- Latin
- Root
- citare
- English cognates
- cite, incite, excite, recite
Examples
.
The journalist quoted the minister's words.
.
He likes to quote old poems over dinner.
.
She cited three letters in her report.
The false friend hides in plain sight for English speakers: has nothing whatever to do with a city. A city is urbo, full stop. The resemblance is an accident of English spelling, since English city came from Latin civitas and cite from e, two unrelated words that ended up looking alike after a thousand years of French.
The apparatus around it is worth having in one place. o is a quotation, the thing quoted; o is a quotation mark, and Esperanto uses „ ", « » or " " depending on the typographic tradition the writer grew up in. takes a direct object, so Zamenhofon quotes the man and quotes the sentence.
Its neighbour mencii is to mention, which is weaker: you mention a book by naming it, and you cite it by reproducing what it said.
Where this fits
Add to review queue
Track this word in your spaced-repetition queue and be tested on it at the right interval.
Go to my review queueEsperanto · Free printables
citi: worksheet, infographic and listicle
Free printable study downloads for the Esperanto word "citi" (to quote, to cite): a worksheet with the answer key built in, an infographic, and a sentence listicle. Open any one to view, print or save.
Free for members
The printable worksheets, infographics and PDFs are free with an account. Start a free week and download as many as you like.
Start your free weekThis word is part of lesson 40.