traïr

Traïr is a Catalan verb meaning to betray or to be disloyal, especially in the sense of breaking someone’s trust. It is used transitively with a direct object, as in phrases like traïr la confiança (to betray trust) or traïr la pàtria (to betray one’s country). The word can refer to personal betrayal as well as treachery in political or social contexts.

Etymology and cognates. Traïr derives from Latin tradere, related to the family of verbs that includes French trahir, Spanish traicionar, and Italian tradire. In Catalan, the verb is written with a diaeresis on the i (traïr) to indicate that the i is pronounced separately from the preceding a, creating a hiatus rather than a diphthong.

Orthography and pronunciation. The diacritic on the i (ï) is a distinctive feature of the standard Catalan spelling of the verb, signaling the separation of syllables as tra-ïr. The word is typically treated as a regular -ir verb in Catalan conjugation, though dialectal variation can occur. In casual writing, the diaeresis is sometimes omitted, leading to traïr being written as trair in nonstandard contexts.

Usage and connotations. Traïr carries a strong moral or ethical weight, often implying breach of loyalty, faith, or oath. It is used in personal discourse and in literary, historical, and political texts to describe acts of treachery or deliberate disloyalty. Related forms include traïdor (traitor) and traïció (betrayal).

See also. Related terms in Romance languages reflect the same root, including trair/tradire/tradere, and the noun forms for betrayal across those languages.