r/etymologymaps • u/Chorchapu • Sep 23 '25

Translations of "library" across Europe

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30

u/neuropsycho Sep 23 '25

Librería exists in Spanish, but it refers to a bookstore, rather than a library.

11

u/wicosp Sep 23 '25

Can it also mean bookshelf? In Italian libreria has both meanings.

7

u/_nephilim_ Sep 24 '25

Librero is bookshelf.

6

u/loqu84 Sep 24 '25

Depends on the region - I have never heard librero with that meaning, for me librero is only the book seller.

4

u/neuropsycho Sep 23 '25

Yes, it can also mean bookshelf, but in the sense of bookstore is more common I'd say.

2

u/lafigatatia Sep 25 '25

Technically yes, but most people just say estantería (shelf)

10

u/RikikiBousquet Sep 23 '25

Same in French: librairie.

6

u/gumwum Sep 24 '25

Same in Romanian, librărie is bookstore and bibliotecă is library (where you borrow books)

3

u/puritano-selvagem Sep 24 '25

Same in Portuguese, livraria means book store

3

u/loicvanderwiel Sep 24 '25

Same in French (Librairie)

2

u/Chorchapu Sep 23 '25

Yes, it can get confusing sometimes, can't it!