guerra

See also: Guerra and guèrra

Asturian

Etymology

From Early Medieval Latin werra, borrowed from Frankish *werru (“confusion; quarrel”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɡera/ [ˈɡe.ra]
• Rhymes: -era
• Syllabification: gue‧rra

Noun

guerra f (plural guerres)

1. war

   Antonym: paz

Derived terms

• guerra civil

Related terms

• guerreru
• guerriar

Catalan

Etymology

Inherited from Old Catalan guerra~gerra, from Early Medieval Latin werra, from Frankish *werru (“confusion; quarrel”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (Central, Balearic) [ˈɡɛ.rə]
• IPA^(key): (Valencia) [ˈɡɛ.ra]

• Audio (Catalonia):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɛra

Noun

guerra f (plural guerres)

1. war

   Antonym: pau

Derived terms

• aguerrir
• guerra civil
• guerra fred
• guerrejar
• guerrer
• guerrera

Related terms

• guerrilla

Descendants

• → Sardinian: gherra

References

• “guerra”, in Diccionari de la llengua catalana [Dictionary of the Catalan Language] (in Catalan), second edition, Institute of Catalan Studies [Catalan: Institut d'Estudis Catalans], April 2007
• “guerra”, in Gran Diccionari de la Llengua Catalana, Grup Enciclopèdia Catalana, 2025
• “guerra” in Diccionari normatiu valencià, Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua.
• “guerra” in Diccionari català-valencià-balear, Antoni Maria Alcover and Francesc de Borja Moll, 1962.

Galician

Etymology

Inherited from Old Galician-Portuguese guerra, from Early Medieval Latin werra, borrowed from Frankish *werru, from Proto-West Germanic *werran + *-u. Doublet of varrer.

Pronunciation

 

• IPA^(key): /ˈɡɛra/ [ˈɡɛ.rɐ]

• IPA^(key): (standard) /ˈɡɛra/ [ˈɡɛ.rɐ]
• IPA^(key): (gheada) /ˈħɛra/ [ˈħɛ.rɐ]

• Rhymes: -ɛra
• Hyphenation: gue‧rra

Noun

guerra f (plural guerras)

1. war

   Antonym: paz

2. noisy confusion

Derived terms

• guerrear
• Guerreiro
• guerreiro

References

• Antón Luís Santamarina Fernández, editor (2006–2013), “guerra”, in Dicionario de Dicionarios da lingua galega [Dictionary of Dictionaries of the Galician language] (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
• Antón Luís Santamarina Fernández, Ernesto Xosé González Seoane, María Álvarez de la Granja, editors (2003–2018), “guerra”, in Tesouro informatizado da lingua galega (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
• Rosario Álvarez Blanco, editor (2014–2024), “guerra”, in Tesouro do léxico patrimonial galego e portugués (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega, →ISSN

Interlingua

Noun

guerra (plural guerras)

1. war

See also

• bello

Italian

Etymology

Inherited from Early Medieval Latin werra, from Frankish *werru (“confusion; quarrel”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɡwɛr.ra/

• Audio (la guerra):

  (file)

• Audio (guerra):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɛrra
• Hyphenation: guèr‧ra

Noun

guerra f (plural guerre, diminutive guerricciòla or (literary) guerricciuòla)

1. (also figurative) war, warfare

   Synonyms: conflitto, lotta, ostilità, scontro

   Antonym: pace

   • 13^th century, Bono Giamboni, “Capitolo 28. Del confortamento dell'arte della cavalleria, e della virtude de' Romani”, in Dell'arte della guerra [On the Art of War]‎, translation of Epitoma Rei Militaris by Publius Flavius Vegetius Renatus, published 1815, page 37:

     E neuno si maravigli, nell'etade di sopra, le dette cose essere avvenute. Conciossiacosachè di po' la primaia guerra di Cartagine, perchè istettero i Romani venticinque anni che le battaglie per la lunga pace non usaro, in tal modo per quello riposo i Romani, che in ogni parte erano stati vincitori, indeboliro

     And no one should be surprised that the aforementioned things happened back then, since after the first Carthaginian war the Romans, having spent twenty-five years without fighting due to the long peace, happened to become weaker because of that resting, even though they had been winning everywhere

   • 1300s–1310s, Dante Alighieri, “Canto II”, in Inferno [Hell], lines 3–6; republished as Giorgio Petrocchi, editor, La Commedia secondo l'antica vulgata [The Commedia according to the ancient vulgate], 2^nd revised edition, Florence: publ. Le Lettere, 1994:

     […] io sol uno
     m'apparecchiava a sostener la guerra
     sì del cammino e sì della pietate,
     che ritrarrà la mente che non erra.

     I, alone, was getting ready to endure the suffering of both the path and the spirit, which the unerring memory will recount

   • c. 1477, Lorenzo de' Medici, Rime, collected in Opere, published 1913:

     Ogni alma, che lei vede, si asserena;
     ed io per certo infelice pur sono,
     che agli altri pace dá, a me sol guerra.

     Every soul that gazes upon her becomes serene, and yet I am certainly unhappy, for she gives peace to others, and conflict to me only.

   • 1581, Torquato Tasso, Gerusalemme liberata [Jerusalem Delivered]‎, Erasmo Viotti, Canto primo, page 4:

     Disse al suo Nuntio Dio: Goffredo trova:
     E'n mio nome dì lui: perche si cessa?
     Perche la guerra homai non si rinova
     A liberar Gerusalemme oppressa?

     God said to His messenger: "Find Goffredo, and, in my name, ask him: 'Why do you stop? Why does the war to free the oppressed Jerusalem not continue?'"

   • 1723, Anton Maria Salvini, transl., Iliade [Iliad]‎, Milan: Giovanni Gaetano Tartini, Santi Franchi, translation of Ἰλιάς (Iliás) by Homer, Book 1, page 8:

     Il più dell'aspra impetuosa guerra
     Le mani mie governan […]

     My hands command most of the harsh, impetuous war

   • 1825, Vincenzo Monti, transl., Iliade [Iliad], Milan: Giovanni Resnati e Gius. Bernardoni di Gio, translation of Ἰλιάς (Iliás) by Homer, published 1840, Book 1, page 13, lines 77–81:

     Atride, or sì, cred' io, volta daremo
     Nuovamente errabondi al patrio lido,
     Se pur morte fuggir ne fia concesso;
     Chè guerra e peste ad un medesmo tempo
     Ne struggono. […]

     Now, Atreid, I do believe we will head back, once again wanderers, to the native shores. That is, if we will be allowed to escape death, since war and pestilence torment us at the same time.

   • 1904, Luigi Pirandello, “5. Maturazione”, in Il fu Mattia Pascal [The Late Mattia Pascal]‎, published 1919, page 42:

     Romilda, gelosa di quel figlio che sarebbe nato a Oliva, tra gli agi e in letizia; mentre il suo, nell’angustia, nell’incertezza del domani, e fra tutta quella guerra.

     Romilda, jealous of the son Oliva was going to birth in comforts and happiness, while hers in poverty, uncertainty for tomorrow, and all that war.

Derived terms

• dichiarazione di guerra
• guerra civile
• guerra fredda
• guerra mondiale
• guerraiolo
• guerreggiare
• guerresco
• tempo di guerra

Related terms

• guerrafondaio
• guerreggiante
• guerreggiatore
• guerrescamente
• guerriero
• guerriglia
• guerrigliero

Descendants

• → Slavomolisano: gvera

Further reading

• guerra on the Italian Wikipedia.Wikipedia ^it
• guerra in Collins Italian-English Dictionary
• guerra in Treccani.it – Vocabolario Treccani on line, Istituto dell'Enciclopedia Italiana

Anagrams

• rugare, urgerà

Latin

Pronunciation

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): [ˈɡʷɛr.ra]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): [ˈɡʷɛr.ra]

Noun

guerra f (genitive guerrae); first declension

1. (Medieval Latin) alternative form of werra (“war”)

Declension

First-declension noun.

	singular	plural
nominative	guerra	guerrae
genitive	guerrae	guerrārum
dative	guerrae	guerrīs
accusative	guerram	guerrās
ablative	guerrā	guerrīs
vocative	guerra	guerrae

Old Galician-Portuguese

Etymology

Locally attested since 1019, in Latin charters.

Inherited from Early Medieval Latin werra, borrowed from Frankish *werru, from Proto-West Germanic *werran + *-u. Doublet of varrer.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɡɛ.ra/

Noun

guerra f (plural guerras)

1. war

   Antonym: paz

Related terms

• guerreador
• guerrear
• guerreiro

Descendants

• Fala: guerra
• Galician: guerra
• Portuguese: guerra

References

• Manuel Ferreiro (2014–2025), “guerra”, in Universo Cantigas. Edición crítica da poesía medieval galego-portuguesa (in Galician), A Coruña: University of A Coruña, →ISSN
• Ernesto Xosé González Seoane, María Álvarez de la Granja, Ana Isabel Boullón Agrelo (2006–2022), “guerra”, in Dicionario de Dicionarios do galego medieval (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
• Xavier Varela Barreiro, Xavier Gómez Guinovart (2006–2018), “guerra”, in Corpus Xelmírez - Corpus lingüístico da Galicia medieval (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega

Portuguese

Etymology

Inherited from Old Galician-Portuguese guerra, from Early Medieval Latin werra, borrowed from Frankish *werru, from Proto-West Germanic *werran + *-u.. Related to the word varrer.

Pronunciation

 

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈɡɛ.ʁɐ/ [ˈɡɛ.hɐ]

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈɡɛ.ʁɐ/ [ˈɡɛ.hɐ]
  • (Rio de Janeiro) IPA^(key): /ˈɡɛ.ʁɐ/ [ˈɡɛ.χɐ]
  • (Southern Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈɡɛ.ʁa/ [ˈɡɛ.ha]

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /ˈɡɛ.ʁɐ/

• Audio (Brazil):

  (file)

• Audio (Portugal (Porto)):

  (file)

• Hyphenation: guer‧ra

Noun

guerra f (plural guerras)

2. war (organised, large-scale armed conflict)

   Antonym: paz

4. (uncountable) war; warfare (the waging of war)
6. (figurative) war (any large-scale conflict)

   Synonym: conflito

Derived terms

• ciberguerra
• crime de guerra
• guerra de travesseiros
• guerrear
• guerreiro
• guerrinha
• guerrona

Related terms

• guerrilha

Descendants

• → Papiamentu: gera

See also

• batalha, bélico, combate, beligerência

Romansch

Alternative forms

• uiara (Sursilvan)
• veara, gueara (Sutsilvan)
• ghera (Surmiran)

Etymology

From Early Medieval Latin werra, borrowed from Frankish *werru (“confusion; quarrel”).

Noun

guerra f (plural guerras)

1. war

Sicilian

Alternative forms

• verra, uerra

Etymology

From Early Medieval Latin werra, borrowed from Frankish *werru (“confusion; quarrel”).

Pronunciation

• (Trapani) IPA^(key): [ˈɡwɛʐʐa]
• Hyphenation: guèr‧ra

Noun

guerra f (plural guerri)

1. war

Antonyms

• paci

Spanish

Etymology

Inherited from Old Spanish guerra, from Early Medieval Latin werra, borrowed from Frankish *werru (“confusion; quarrel”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɡera/ [ˈɡe.ra]

• Audio (Colombia):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -era
• Syllabification: gue‧rra

Noun

guerra f (plural guerras)

1. war, warfare

   Synonyms: conflicto bélico, choque, combate, conflagración, conflicto, contienda, cruzada, enfrentamiento, guerrilla, hostilidades, lid, lucha, ofensiva, pelea, refriega

   Antonyms: paz, concordia

   La guerra entre los Estados Unidos e Irak

   The war between the United States and Iraq

Hyponyms

• guerra a muerte
• guerra biológica
• guerra de comida (“food fight”)
• guerra de desgaste
• guerra de ediciones
• Guerra de los Siete Años
• Guerra de los Treinta Años
• guerra de nervios
• guerra de posiciones
• guerra de precios
• guerra de trincheras
• guerra fría
• guerra mundial
• guerra nuclear
• guerra preventiva
• guerra psicológica
• guerra púnica
• guerra santa
• guerra sin cuartel
• guerra subsidiaria
• guerra sucia

Derived terms

• acción de guerra
• aguerrido
• auditor de guerra
• banda de guerra
• bando de guerra
• buque de guerra
• capitán a guerra
• cohete de guerra
• comisario de guerra
• consejo de guerra
• contrabando de guerra
• contribución de guerra
• crimen de guerra
• criminal de guerra
• declaración de guerra
• en buena guerra
• en la guerra y en el amor todo vale
• en pie de guerra
• en tiempos de guerra cualquier agujero es trinchera
• entreguerras
• estado de guerra
• fragata de guerra
• guerra civil
• guerra cultural
• guerra de bolas
• guerra de cifras
• guerra de palos
• guerra digital
• guerrear
• guerrero
• guerrilla
• hombre de guerra
• honores de la guerra
• madrina de guerra
• marina de guerra
• mujer de guerra
• municiones de guerra
• nave de guerra, barco de guerra (“warship”)
• navío de guerra
• neurosis de guerra
• nombre de guerra
• pólvora de guerra
• posguerra
• preguerra
• prisionero de guerra
• señor de la guerra
• tambores de guerra
• zona de guerra

Related terms

• bélico

Descendants

• → Tagalog: gera, giyera

Further reading

• “guerra”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 10 December 2024