False cognate: Difference between revisions

From Wikipedia
Jump to navigation Jump to search
Browse history interactively
VisualWikitext
→Within English: police is also from politia; the false cognates are the two meanings of "policy"
 
imported>SirOlgen
m Linter missing end tag syntax fix – closed italics
 
Line 1: Line 1:
{{short description|Words that look or sound alike, but are not related}}
{{short description|Words that look or sound alike, but are not related}}
{{distinguish|False friend}}
{{distinguish|False friend}}
'''False cognates''' are pairs of words that seem to be [[cognate]]s because of similar sounds or spelling and meaning, but have different etymologies; they can be within the same [[language]] or from different languages, even within the same family.{{sfnp|Moss|1992|p=?}} For example, the English word ''[[wikt:dog#Etymology|dog]]'' and the [[Mbabaram language|Mbabaram]] word ''[[wikt:dog#Mbabaram|dog]]'' have exactly the same meaning and very similar pronunciations, but by complete coincidence. Likewise, English ''[[wikt:much#Etymology|much]]'' and Spanish ''[[wikt:mucho#Spanish|mucho]]'' came by their similar meanings via completely different [[Proto-Indo-European language|Proto-Indo-European]] roots, and same for English ''[[wikt:have#Etymology|have]]'' and Spanish ''[[wikt:haber#Spanish|haber]]''. This is different from [[false friend]]s, which are similar-sounding words with different meanings, and may or may not be cognates. Within a language, if they are spelled the same, they are [[homographs]]; if they are pronounced the same, they are [[homophones]]. Cross-linguistic or interlingual homographs or homophones sometimes include cognates; non-cognates may more specifically be called homographic or homophonic noncognates.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Szubko-Sitarek |first=Weronika |url=https://www.google.com/books/edition/Multilingual_Lexical_Recognition_in_the/Jge7BAAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=false+cognate+cross-language+homophone&pg=PA106&printsec=frontcover |title=Multilingual Lexical Recognition in the Mental Lexicon of Third Language Users |date=2014-10-07 |publisher=Springer |isbn=978-3-642-32194-8 |pages=106 |language=en}}</ref>
'''False cognates''' are pairs of words that seem to be [[cognate]]s because of similar sounds or spelling and meaning, but have different etymologies; they can be within the same [[language]] or from different languages, even within the same family.{{sfnp|Moss|1992|p=?}} For example, the English word ''[[wikt:dog#Etymology|dog]]'' and the [[Mbabaram language|Mbabaram]] word ''[[wikt:dog#Mbabaram|dog]]'' have exactly the same meaning and very similar pronunciations, but by complete coincidence. Likewise, English ''[[wikt:much#Etymology|much]]'' and Spanish ''[[wikt:mucho#Spanish|mucho]]'' came by their similar meanings via completely different [[Proto-Indo-European language|Proto-Indo-European]] roots, and same for English ''[[wikt:have#Etymology 1|have]]'' and Spanish ''[[wikt:haber#Spanish|haber]]''. This is different from [[false friend]]s, which are similar-sounding words with different meanings, and may or may not be cognates. Within a language, if they are spelled the same, they are [[homographs]]; if they are pronounced the same, they are [[homophones]]. Cross-linguistic or interlingual homographs or homophones sometimes include cognates; non-cognates may more specifically be called homographic or homophonic noncognates.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Szubko-Sitarek |first=Weronika |url=https://www.google.com/books/edition/Multilingual_Lexical_Recognition_in_the/Jge7BAAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=false+cognate+cross-language+homophone&pg=PA106&printsec=frontcover |title=Multilingual Lexical Recognition in the Mental Lexicon of Third Language Users |date=2014-10-07 |publisher=Springer |isbn=978-3-642-32194-8 |pages=106 |language=en}}</ref>


Even though false cognates lack a common root, there may still be an indirect connection between them (for example by [[phono-semantic matching]] or [[folk etymology]]).
Even though false cognates lack a common root, there may still be an indirect connection between them (for example by [[phono-semantic matching]] or [[folk etymology]]).
Line 36: Line 36:
!  Foreign etymology
!  Foreign etymology
|-
|-
| '''bad''' || Possibly from OE '' [[Bæddel and bædling|bæddel]]'' ("hermaphrodite, effeminate man"){{br}}<< PGmc *''bad-'' ("defile") || Persian '''{{lang|fa|بد}}''', ''bad''{{thin space}}<ref name="Campbell2">[[Lyle Campbell]], Historical Linguistics: An Introduction, 3rd edition, p. 350</ref><ref name="Glossary">{{cite book|first1=Lyle|last1=Campbell|author-link1=Lyle Campbell|first2=Mauricio J.|last2=Mixco|title=A Glossary of Historical Linguistics|year=2007|publisher=Edinburgh University Press|isbn=978-0-7486-2378-5|page=29}}</ref> || Middle Iranian *''vat''{{br}}<< PIE *''wed(h)-''
| '''bad''' || Possibly from OE '' [[Bæddel and bædling|bæddel]]'' ("hermaphrodite, effeminate man"){{br}}<< PGmc *''bad-'' ("defile") || Persian '''{{lang|fa|بد}}''', ''bad''{{thin space}}<ref name="Campbell2">[[Lyle Campbell]], Historical Linguistics: An Introduction, 3rd edition, p. 350</ref><ref name="Glossary">{{cite book|first1=Lyle|last1=Campbell|author-link1=Lyle Campbell|first2=Mauricio J.|last2=Mixco|title=A Glossary of Historical Linguistics|year=2007|publisher=Edinburgh University Press|isbn=978-0-7486-2378-5|page=29}}</ref> || Old Iranian ''*wata-''
|-
|-
| '''better''' || OE ''betera'' || Persian '''{{lang|fa|بهتر}}''', ''behtar'' and Hindustani descendants || به (''beh'', "good") + تر (''-tar'', "-er")
| '''better''' || OE ''betera'' || Persian '''{{lang|fa|بهتر}}''', ''behtar'', Hindi '''{{lang|fa|बहतर}}''', ''bahatar''|| به (''beh'', "good") + تر (''-tar'', "-er")
|-
|-
|'''cinder'''
|'''cinder'''
Line 55: Line 55:
|Japanese '''''絵文字''''' ([[emoji]]) {{thin space}}<ref name=Taggart-2015>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VPO4CgAAQBAJ|title=New Words for Old: Recycling Our Language for the Modern World|first=Caroline|last=Taggart|date=5 November 2015|publisher=Michael O'Mara Books|via=Google Books|isbn=9781782434733 |quote=''Emoji'' is made up of the Japanese for ''picture'' (e) and ''character'' (''moji'') so its resemblance to ''emotion'' and ''emoticon'' is a particularly happy coincidence.}}</ref>
|Japanese '''''絵文字''''' ([[emoji]]) {{thin space}}<ref name=Taggart-2015>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VPO4CgAAQBAJ|title=New Words for Old: Recycling Our Language for the Modern World|first=Caroline|last=Taggart|date=5 November 2015|publisher=Michael O'Mara Books|via=Google Books|isbn=9781782434733 |quote=''Emoji'' is made up of the Japanese for ''picture'' (e) and ''character'' (''moji'') so its resemblance to ''emotion'' and ''emoticon'' is a particularly happy coincidence.}}</ref>
|''絵 (e)'' ("picture") + ''文字 (moji)'' ("character")<ref name=Taggart-2015 />
|''絵 (e)'' ("picture") + ''文字 (moji)'' ("character")<ref name=Taggart-2015 />
|-
|'''fire'''
|OE ''fȳr''
[[Proto-Germanic|PGmc]] [[wikt:Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/fōr|'''''*fōr''''' ~ '''''*fun-''''']]<ref name="dhegh" /><ref>[[Lyle Campbell]], Historical Linguistics: An Introduction, 3rd edition, p. 355</ref><ref name="Glossary" />{{br}}<< PIE *''péh₂wr̥''
|Thai '''''ไฟ'''''  ("fire")
|[[Proto-Tai language|Proto-Tai]] ''{{lang|mis|proto=yes|wɤjᴬ}}'' ("fire")
|-
|-
| '''have''' || Middle English ''haven''<br><< OE ''habban'' ("to have")<br><< Proto-West Germanic ''*habbjan''<br><< Proto-Germanic ''*habjaną'' ("to have"), durative of ''*habjaną'' ("to lift, take up")<br><< PIE ''*kh₂pyéti'' present tense of ''*keh₂p-'' ("to take, seize, catch").  ||  Corsican '''''avè''''' ("to have") || Latin ''habēre'', present active infinitive of ''habeō''<br><< Proto-Italic ''*habēō'' << PIE ''*gʰeh₁bʰ-'' ("to grab").  
| '''have''' || Middle English ''haven''<br><< OE ''habban'' ("to have")<br><< Proto-West Germanic ''*habbjan''<br><< Proto-Germanic ''*habjaną'' ("to have"), durative of ''*habjaną'' ("to lift, take up")<br><< PIE ''*kh₂pyéti'' present tense of ''*keh₂p-'' ("to take, seize, catch").  ||  Corsican '''''avè''''' ("to have") || Latin ''habēre'', present active infinitive of ''habeō''<br><< Proto-Italic ''*habēō'' << PIE ''*gʰeh₁bʰ-'' ("to grab").  
Line 60: Line 66:
| '''hollow''' ||  OE ''holh'' {{br}}<< PGmc *''holhwo-'' || [[Lake Miwok language|Lake Miwok]] '''''hóllu'''''{{thin space}}<ref name="Campbell2"/> ||
| '''hollow''' ||  OE ''holh'' {{br}}<< PGmc *''holhwo-'' || [[Lake Miwok language|Lake Miwok]] '''''hóllu'''''{{thin space}}<ref name="Campbell2"/> ||
|-
|-
| '''much''' || OE ''myċel'' {{br}}<< PGmc *''mikilaz'' {{br}}<< PIE *''meǵa-'' ("big, stout, great") ||  Spanish '''''mucho''''' ("much"){{thin space}}<ref name="Glossary"/> || Latin ''multus''  (many){{br}}<< PIE *''ml̥tos'' ("crumbled")
| '''much''' || OE ''myċel'' {{br}}<< PGmc *''mikilaz'' {{br}}<< PIE *''meǵa-'' ("big, stout, great") ||  Spanish '''''mucho''''' ("much"){{thin space}}<ref name="Glossary"/> || Latin ''multus''  ("many")
|-
|-
| '''[[saint]]''' ||  Latin ''sanctus''{{br}}<< PIE *''seh₂k-'' ("to sanctify") via [[French language|French]] || Sanskrit '''''[[sant (religion)|sant]]''''' and descendants{{thin space}}<ref name="Schomer-1987">{{cite book |last1=Schomer |first1=Karine |last2=McLeod |first2=W. H. |title=The Sants: Studies in a Devotional Tradition of India |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OkKhOivXrhgC |year=1987 |publisher=Motilal Banarsidass |location=Delhi |isbn=978-81-208-0277-3 |oclc=879218858 |page=3 |access-date=7 November 2018 |quote=Thus conceptually as well as etymologically, it differs considerably from the false cognate 'saint' which is often used to translate it. Like 'saint', ''&apos;sant&apos;'' has also taken on the more general ethical meaning of the 'good person' whose life is a spiritual and moral exemplar, and is therefore attached to a wide variety of gurus, 'holy men', and other religious teachers.}}</ref> || ''sat'' ("truth, reality, essence")
| '''[[saint]]''' ||  Latin ''sanctus''{{br}}<< PIE *''seh₂k-'' ("to sanctify") via [[French language|French]] || Sanskrit '''''[[sant (religion)|sant]]''''' and descendants{{thin space}}<ref name="Schomer-1987">{{cite book |last1=Schomer |first1=Karine |last2=McLeod |first2=W. H. |title=The Sants: Studies in a Devotional Tradition of India |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OkKhOivXrhgC |year=1987 |publisher=Motilal Banarsidass |location=Delhi |isbn=978-81-208-0277-3 |oclc=879218858 |page=3 |access-date=7 November 2018 |quote=Thus conceptually as well as etymologically, it differs considerably from the false cognate 'saint' which is often used to translate it. Like 'saint', ''&apos;sant&apos;'' has also taken on the more general ethical meaning of the 'good person' whose life is a spiritual and moral exemplar, and is therefore attached to a wide variety of gurus, 'holy men', and other religious teachers.}}</ref> || ''sat'' ("truth, reality, essence")
Line 76: Line 82:
|-
|-
| French '''''feu''''' ("fire") || Latin ''focus'' ||German '''''Feuer''''' ("fire")
| French '''''feu''''' ("fire") || Latin ''focus'' ||German '''''Feuer''''' ("fire")
|[[Proto-Germanic|PGmc]] [[wikt:Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/fōr|'''''*fōr''''' ~ '''''*fun-''''']]<ref name="dhegh"/><ref>[[Lyle Campbell]], Historical Linguistics: An Introduction, 3rd edition, p. 355</ref><ref name="Glossary"/>{{br}}<< PIE *''péh₂wr̥''
|PGmc '''''*fōr''''' ~ '''''*fun-'''''{{br}}<< PIE *''péh₂wr̥''
|-
|-
| French '''''nuque''''' ('nape') ||Latin ''nucha'', from Arabic نُخَاع ''nukhāʻ'' 'spinal marrow' || Hungarian '''''nyak''''' ('neck')<ref name="Barczi">{{cite book|first=Géza|last=Bárczi|year=1958|title=A magyar szókincs eredete|location=Budapest|publisher=Tankönyvkiadó|page=8}}</ref> || Proto-Uralic ''*ńᴕkkɜ'' 'neck'
| French '''''nuque''''' ('nape') ||Latin ''nucha'', from Arabic نُخَاع ''nukhāʻ'' 'spinal marrow' || Hungarian '''''nyak''''' ('neck')<ref name="Barczi">{{cite book|first=Géza|last=Bárczi|year=1958|title=A magyar szókincs eredete|location=Budapest|publisher=Tankönyvkiadó|page=8}}</ref> || Proto-Uralic ''*ńᴕkkɜ'' 'neck'
Line 84: Line 90:
| Swedish '''''göl''''' ("pool") || PG *''guljō'' || Salar '''''göl''''' ("pool") || Proto-Turkic *''kȫl'' ("lake")
| Swedish '''''göl''''' ("pool") || PG *''guljō'' || Salar '''''göl''''' ("pool") || Proto-Turkic *''kȫl'' ("lake")
|-
|-
| German '''''Erdbeere''''' ('strawberry') || ''Erd'' ('earth') + ''Beere'' ('berry') || Hungarian '''''eper''''' ('strawberry')<ref name=Barczi/> ||
| German '''''Erdbeere''''' ('strawberry') || ''Erd'' ('earth') + ''Beere'' ('berry') || Hungarian '''''eper''''' ('strawberry')<ref name=Barczi/> || Proto-Ugric ''*äppärĕ-kə''
|-
|-
| German '''''Haus''''' ('house')|| || Hungarian '''''ház''''' ('house')<ref name=Barczi/> ||
| German '''''Haus''''' ('house') || [[Proto-Germanic]] ''*hūsą'' || Hungarian '''''ház''''' ('house')<ref name=Barczi/> || [[Proto-Uralic]] ''*kota''
|-
|-
| Hawaiian '''''kahuna''''' ('priest')|| || Hebrew '''כוהן''' (''kohen'') ('priest')<ref>{{cite journal|last=Hevesi|first=Francis|title=Kahuna and kohen: A study in comparative religion|volume=16|journal=Social Process in Hawaii|pages=30–33}}</ref> ||
| Hawaiian '''''kahuna''''' ('priest') || [[Proto-Polynesian]] ''*tupuŋa'' || Hebrew '''כהן''' (''kohen'') ('priest')<ref>{{cite journal|last=Hevesi|first=Francis|title=Kahuna and kohen: A study in comparative religion|volume=16|journal=Social Process in Hawaii|pages=30–33}}</ref> || Proto-West Semitic ''*kāhin-''
|-
|-
| Hungarian '''''nő''''' ('woman') || || Mandarin Chinese '''女''' (''nǚ'') ('woman')<ref name=Barczi/> ||
| Hungarian '''''nő''''' ('woman') || [[Proto-Uralic]] ''*niŋä'' || Mandarin Chinese '''女''' (''nǚ'') ('woman')<ref name=Barczi/> || [[Proto-Sino-Tibetan]] ''*naq''
|-
|-
| [[Inuktitut]]  '''ᖃᔭᖅ''' (''[[kayak]]'') ||  [[Proto-Eskimo]] *''qyaq'' || [[Turkish language|Turkish]] '''''[[Caïque|kayık]]''''' ('small boat')<ref>{{cite journal|first=José Andrés Alonso|last=de la Fuente|title=Urban legends: Turkish kayık 'boat' {{!}} "Eskimo" Qayaq 'Kayak'|journal=Studia Linguistica Universitatis Iagellonicae Cracoviensis|year=2010|url=http://www.filg.uj.edu.pl/documents/41616/4333148/12701-Fuente.pdf|access-date=2015-03-06}}</ref> || [[Old Turkic]] kayguk {{br}}<< [[Proto-Turkic]] kay- ("to slide, to turn")
| [[Inuktitut]]  '''ᖃᔭᖅ''' (''[[kayak]]'') ||  [[Proto-Eskimo]] *''qayaʀ'' || [[Turkish language|Turkish]] '''''[[Caïque|kayık]]''''' ('small boat')<ref>{{cite journal|first=José Andrés Alonso|last=de la Fuente|title=Urban legends: Turkish kayık 'boat' {{!}} "Eskimo" Qayaq 'Kayak'|journal=Studia Linguistica Universitatis Iagellonicae Cracoviensis|year=2010|url=http://www.filg.uj.edu.pl/documents/41616/4333148/12701-Fuente.pdf|access-date=2015-03-06}}</ref> || [[Old Turkic]] kayguk {{br}}<< [[Proto-Turkic]] kay- ("to slide, to turn")
|-
|-
| [[Mayaimi]]  '''Mayaimi''' (''Big water'') ||  || [[Hebrew language|Hebrew]] '''מים''' mayim ("water") ||  
| [[Mayaimi]]  '''Mayaimi''' (''Big water'') ||  || [[Hebrew language|Hebrew]] '''מים''' mayim ("water") || [[Proto-Semitic]] ''*māy-''
|-
|-
| Japanese '''{{lang|ja|ありがとう}}''' ''[[Glossary of Japanese words of Portuguese origin#Arigatō|arigatō]]'' ("thank you") || Clipping of 有難う御座います "arigatō gozaimasu" ("(I) am thankful") {{br}}<< 有難く "arigataku"{{br}}<< 有難い "arigatai" ("thankful, appreciated") {{br}}<< [[Old Japanese]] 有難斯  "arigatasi" ("difficult to be"){{thin space}}{{citation needed|date=September 2019}}  || Portuguese '''''obrigado''''' ("thank you")<ref>{{cite news |title='Arigato in Japanese and Obrigado in Portuguese', Semantic Enigmas |url=https://www.theguardian.com/notesandqueries/query/0,,-197840,00.html |access-date=June 24, 2021 |work=The Guardian}}</ref>|| Literally "obliged"{{br}} << Latin ''obligātus''
| Japanese '''{{lang|ja|ありがとう}}''' ''[[Glossary of Japanese words of Portuguese origin#Arigatō|arigatō]]'' ("thank you") || Clipping of 有難う御座います "arigatō gozaimasu" ("(I) am thankful") {{br}}<< 有難く "arigataku"{{br}}<< 有難い "arigatai" ("thankful, appreciated") {{br}}<< [[Old Japanese]] 有難斯  "arigatasi" ("difficult to be"){{thin space}}{{citation needed|date=September 2019}}  || Portuguese '''''obrigado''''' ("thank you")<ref>{{cite news |title='Arigato in Japanese and Obrigado in Portuguese', Semantic Enigmas |url=https://www.theguardian.com/notesandqueries/query/0,,-197840,00.html |access-date=June 24, 2021 |work=The Guardian}}</ref>|| Literally "obliged"{{br}} << Latin ''obligātus''
|-
|-
| [[Hindustani language|Hindustani]] '''अम्मा''' / '''{{nq|اما}}''' (''ammā'', "mother")
| [[Hindustani language|Hindustani (Hindi-Urdu)]] '''अम्मा''' / '''{{nq|اما}}''' (''ammā'', "mother")
| [[Prakrit]] 𑀅𑀁𑀫𑀸 (''aṃmā''), from [[Sanskrit]] {{lang|sa|अम्बा}} ({{Transliteration|sa|ambā}}, "mother, feminine honorific")
| [[Prakrit]] 𑀅𑀁𑀫𑀸 (''aṃmā''), from [[Sanskrit]] {{lang|sa|अम्बा}} ({{Transliteration|sa|ambā}}, "mother, feminine honorific")
| [[Tamil language|Tamil]] '''அம்மா''' (''ammā'', "mother")
| [[Tamil language|Tamil]] '''அம்மா''' [[Malayalam]] '''അമ്മ'''  (''ammā'', "mother")
| [[Proto-Dravidian]] ''*amma'' ("mother")
| [[Proto-Dravidian]] ''*amma'' ("mother")
|-
| [[Hindustani language|Hindustani (Hindi-Urdu)]] '''मज़ा''' / '''مزہ'''
(''Mazah'', "Fun")
| From [[Persian language|Classical Persian]] ''[[Persian language|مزہ]]'', ultimately from [[Proto-Indo-European language|Proto-Indo-European]] *meh<sub>2</sub>k.
| [[Hindustani language|Hindustani (Hindi-Urdu)]]
'''मज़ाक़''' / '''مذاق'''
(''Mazaaq'', "Prank/Joke/Fun/Mockery")
| From [[Arabic|Arabic "مذاق"]] ([[Arabic]]->[[Persian language|Persian]]->[[Hindustani language|Hindustani]]).
|-
|-
| [[Indonesian language|Indonesian]] '''''tanah''''' ("ground")
| [[Indonesian language|Indonesian]] '''''tanah''''' ("ground")
| [[Proto-Austronesian]] ''*tanaq''
| [[Proto-Austronesian]] ''*tanaq''
| [[Aleut language|Aleut]] '''''tanax̂''''' ("ground")
| [[Aleut language|Aleut]] '''''tanax̂''''' ("ground")
| [[Proto-Eskimo]] ''*luna'' ("earth")
| Cognate with [[Proto-Eskimo]] ''*nuna'' ("earth")
|-
|-
| [[Tagalog language|Tagalog]] '''''bagay''''' ("thing")
| [[Tagalog language|Tagalog]] '''''bagay''''' ("thing")
Line 112: Line 126:
| [[Haitian Creole]] '''''bagay''''' ("thing")
| [[Haitian Creole]] '''''bagay''''' ("thing")
| [[Saint Dominican Creole French]] ''bagage''
| [[Saint Dominican Creole French]] ''bagage''
|-
| [[Hebrew]] '''''שֵׁשׁ (šeš)''''' ("six")
| [[Proto-Semitic]] ''*šidṯum''
| [[Persian language|Persian]] '''''شش (šaš)''''' ("six")
| from [[Proto-Iranian]] ''*šwáš'' and ultimately from [[Proto-Indo-European]] *swéḱs
|-
|-
| [[Central Dusun|Dusun]] '''''do''''' ("of")
| [[Central Dusun|Dusun]] '''''do''''' ("of")
| Austronesian ''o''
|  
| Portuguese '''''do''''' ("of")
| Portuguese '''''do''''' ("of")
| Latin ''de''
| Latin ''de''
Line 122: Line 141:
| [[Russian language|Russian]] '''''гусеница''''' (''gusenica'') ("caterpillar")
| [[Russian language|Russian]] '''''гусеница''''' (''gusenica'') ("caterpillar")
| [[Proto-Slavic]] ''*ǫsěnica'' ("caterpillar")
| [[Proto-Slavic]] ''*ǫsěnica'' ("caterpillar")
|-
| [[Hebrew]] '''''אֶלָּא (elá)''''' ("but, except")
| From Aramaic '''''אלא''''', blend of ''אִן'' (ʾin "if") and ''לָא'' (lā "not")
| [[Modern Greek|Modern Greek]] '''''αλλά''''' (allá) ("but")
| >>[[Ancient Greek]] ''ἀλλά'',  the neuter accusative plural of ''ἄλλος'' (“another, different”) >> PIE *h₂élyos
|-
| [[Thai language|Thai]] '''''พระ (phra)''''' ("priest, monk")
|  From Sanskrit vara (वर): excellent, holy
| [[Italian language|Italian]] '''''fra''''' ("friar, monk, brother")
| [[Latin]] ''frāter'' ("brother")
|-
| [[Hebrew]] '''''אוֹ (ʔo)''''' ("or")
| [[Proto-Semitic]] ''*ʔaw''
| [[Spanish language|Spanish]] '''''o''''' ("or")
| [[Latin]] ''aut''
|-
| [[Scots Gaelic]] '''''bò''''' ("cow")
| [[Proto-Indo-European]] ''gʷṓws''
| [[Vietnamese language|Vietnamese]] '''''bò''''' ("cow")
| [[Vietic languages|Proto-Vietic]] ''bɔː ''
|-
| Japanese '''''あなた (anata)''''' ("you")
| [[Old Japanese]] spatial deictic ''anata'' ("that side, yonder"){{br}}<< ''a'' (distal demonstrative prefix) + ''nata'' (variant of ''kata'' "direction")
| Arabic '''''أَنْتَ (anta)''''' ("you" [masc. sing.])
| [[Proto-Semitic]] *''ʼanta'' ("you"){{br}}<< *''ʼan-'' (pronominal base) + *''-ta'' (second person masculine marker)
|}
|}


Latest revision as of 02:48, 22 May 2026

Not to be confused with False friend.

False cognates are pairs of words that seem to be cognates because of similar sounds or spelling and meaning, but have different etymologies; they can be within the same language or from different languages, even within the same family.[1] For example, the English word dog and the Mbabaram word dog have exactly the same meaning and very similar pronunciations, but by complete coincidence. Likewise, English much and Spanish mucho came by their similar meanings via completely different Proto-Indo-European roots, and same for English have and Spanish haber. This is different from false friends, which are similar-sounding words with different meanings, and may or may not be cognates. Within a language, if they are spelled the same, they are homographs; if they are pronounced the same, they are homophones. Cross-linguistic or interlingual homographs or homophones sometimes include cognates; non-cognates may more specifically be called homographic or homophonic noncognates.[2]

Even though false cognates lack a common root, there may still be an indirect connection between them (for example by phono-semantic matching or folk etymology).

Phenomenon

The term "false cognate" is sometimes misused to refer to false friends, but the two phenomena are distinct.[1][3] False friends occur when two words in different languages or dialects look similar, but have different meanings. While some false friends are also false cognates, many are genuine cognates (see False friends § Causes).[3] For example, English pretend and French prétendre are false friends, but not false cognates, as they have the same origin.[4]

"Mama and papa" type

The basic kinship terms mama and papa constitute a special case of false cognates; many languages share words of similar form and meaning for these kinship terms, but due to common processes of language acquisition rather than relatedness of the languages.[5][6][7][8]

Examples

Note: Some etymologies may be simplified to avoid overly long descriptions.

Within English

Term 1 Etymology 1 Term 2 Etymology 2
day Old English dæġ
<< Proto-Germanic *dagaz
<< Proto-Indo-European *dʰeǵʰ-[9]		 diary Latin diārium << dies ("day")
<< Proto-Italic *djēm
<< PIE *dyḗws ("heaven") [10][11]
island Middle English iland
<< Old English īeġland
<< Proto-Germanic *awjōlandą		 isle Middle English ile
<< Old French i(s)le
<< Latin insula
(government) policy[12] Middle English policie
<< Old French policie
<< Late Latin politia
<< Ancient Greek politeía		 (insurance) policy French police
<< Italian polizza
<< Medieval Latin apodissa
<< Ancient Greek apódeixis

Between English and other languages

English term English etymology Foreign term Foreign etymology
bad Possibly from OE bæddel ("hermaphrodite, effeminate man")
<< PGmc *bad- ("defile")		 Persian بد, bad [13][11] Old Iranian *wata-
better OE betera Persian بهتر, behtar, Hindi बहतर, bahatar به (beh, "good") + تر (-tar, "-er")
cinder OE sinder
<< PGmc *sendra- "slag"
<< PIE *sendhro- "coagulating fluid" 		French cendre ("ash") Latin cinerem
<< PIE *ken- ("to arise, begin")
day OE dæġ
<< PGmc *dagaz
<< PIE *dʰeǵʰ-[9]		 Latin dies ("day") and descendants [10][11] Proto-Italic *djēm
<< PIE *dyḗws ("heaven") [10][11]
desert Latin dēserō ("to abandon")
<< ultimately PIE **seh₁- ("to sow")		 Ancient Egyptian Deshret (refers to the land not flooded by the Nile)  from dšr (red)
dog OE docga or dogga Mbabaram dog ("dog") [11] Proto-Pama-Nyungan *gudaga
emoticon emotion + icon Japanese 絵文字 (emoji)  [14] 絵 (e) ("picture") + 文字 (moji) ("character")[14]
fire OE fȳr PGmc *fōr ~ *fun-[9][15][11]
<< PIE *péh₂wr̥ 		Thai ไฟ ("fire") Proto-Tai *wɤjᴬ ("fire")
have Middle English haven
<< OE habban ("to have")
<< Proto-West Germanic *habbjan
<< Proto-Germanic *habjaną ("to have"), durative of *habjaną ("to lift, take up")
<< PIE *kh₂pyéti present tense of *keh₂p- ("to take, seize, catch"). 		 Corsican avè ("to have") Latin habēre, present active infinitive of habeō
<< Proto-Italic *habēō << PIE *gʰeh₁bʰ- ("to grab").
hollow OE holh
<< PGmc *holhwo-		 Lake Miwok hóllu [13]
much OE myċel
<< PGmc *mikilaz
<< PIE *meǵa- ("big, stout, great")		 Spanish mucho ("much") [11] Latin multus ("many")
saint Latin sanctus
<< PIE *seh₂k- ("to sanctify") via French		 Sanskrit sant and descendants [16] sat ("truth, reality, essence")
shark Middle English shark from uncertain origin Chinese 鲨 (shā)  Named as its crude skin is similar to sand (沙 (shā))

Between other languages

Term 1 Etymology 1 Term 2 Etymology 2
French feu ("fire") Latin focus German Feuer ("fire") PGmc *fōr ~ *fun-
<< PIE *péh₂wr̥
French nuque ('nape') Latin nucha, from Arabic نُخَاع nukhāʻ 'spinal marrow' Hungarian nyak ('neck')[17] Proto-Uralic *ńᴕkkɜ 'neck'
German haben ('to have') PG *habjaną
<< PIE *keh₂p- ("to grasp")		 Latin habere ("to have") and descendants[18] PIE *gʰeh₁bʰ- ("to grab, to take")
Swedish göl ("pool") PG *guljō Salar göl ("pool") Proto-Turkic *kȫl ("lake")
German Erdbeere ('strawberry') Erd ('earth') + Beere ('berry') Hungarian eper ('strawberry')[17] Proto-Ugric *äppärĕ-kə
German Haus ('house') Proto-Germanic *hūsą Hungarian ház ('house')[17] Proto-Uralic *kota
Hawaiian kahuna ('priest') Proto-Polynesian *tupuŋa Hebrew כהן (kohen) ('priest')[19] Proto-West Semitic *kāhin-
Hungarian nő ('woman') Proto-Uralic *niŋä Mandarin Chinese 女 (nǚ) ('woman')[17] Proto-Sino-Tibetan *naq
Inuktitut ᖃᔭᖅ (kayak) Proto-Eskimo *qayaʀ Turkish kayık ('small boat')[20] Old Turkic kayguk
<< Proto-Turkic kay- ("to slide, to turn")
Mayaimi Mayaimi (Big water) Hebrew מים mayim ("water") Proto-Semitic *māy-
Japanese ありがとう arigatō ("thank you") Clipping of 有難う御座います "arigatō gozaimasu" ("(I) am thankful")
<< 有難く "arigataku"
<< 有難い "arigatai" ("thankful, appreciated")
<< Old Japanese 有難斯 "arigatasi" ("difficult to be") [citation needed]		 Portuguese obrigado ("thank you")[21] Literally "obliged"
<< Latin obligātus
Hindustani (Hindi-Urdu) अम्मा / Template:Nq (ammā, "mother") Prakrit 𑀅𑀁𑀫𑀸 (aṃmā), from Sanskrit अम्बा (Template:Transliteration, "mother, feminine honorific") Tamil அம்மா Malayalam അമ്മ (ammā, "mother") Proto-Dravidian *amma ("mother")
Hindustani (Hindi-Urdu) मज़ा / مزہ

(Mazah, "Fun")

From Classical Persian مزہ, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *meh2k. Hindustani (Hindi-Urdu)

मज़ाक़ / مذاق (Mazaaq, "Prank/Joke/Fun/Mockery")

From Arabic "مذاق" (Arabic->Persian->Hindustani).
Indonesian tanah ("ground") Proto-Austronesian *tanaq Aleut tanax̂ ("ground") Cognate with Proto-Eskimo *nuna ("earth")
Tagalog bagay ("thing") Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *bagay Haitian Creole bagay ("thing") Saint Dominican Creole French bagage
Hebrew שֵׁשׁ (šeš) ("six") Proto-Semitic *šidṯum Persian شش (šaš) ("six") from Proto-Iranian *šwáš and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *swéḱs
Dusun do ("of") Portuguese do ("of") Latin de
Spanish gusano ("worm, insect larva") Uncertain, possibly from Latin cossus ("woodworm") Russian гусеница (gusenica) ("caterpillar") Proto-Slavic *ǫsěnica ("caterpillar")
Hebrew אֶלָּא (elá) ("but, except") From Aramaic אלא, blend of אִן (ʾin "if") and לָא (lā "not") Modern Greek αλλά (allá) ("but") >>Ancient Greek ἀλλά, the neuter accusative plural of ἄλλος (“another, different”) >> PIE *h₂élyos
Thai พระ (phra) ("priest, monk") From Sanskrit vara (वर): excellent, holy Italian fra ("friar, monk, brother") Latin frāter ("brother")
Hebrew אוֹ (ʔo) ("or") Proto-Semitic *ʔaw Spanish o ("or") Latin aut
Scots Gaelic bò ("cow") Proto-Indo-European gʷṓws Vietnamese bò ("cow") Proto-Vietic bɔː
Japanese あなた (anata) ("you") Old Japanese spatial deictic anata ("that side, yonder")
<< a (distal demonstrative prefix) + nata (variant of kata "direction") 		Arabic أَنْتَ (anta) ("you" [masc. sing.]) Proto-Semitic *ʼanta ("you")
<< *ʼan- (pronominal base) + *-ta (second person masculine marker)

False cognates used in the coinage of new words

The coincidental similarity between false cognates can sometimes be used in the creation of new words (neologization). For example, the Hebrew word דַּל dal ("poor") (which is a false cognate of the phono-semantically similar English word dull) is used in the new Israeli Hebrew expression אין רגע דל en rega dal (literally "There is no poor moment") as a phono-semantic matching for the English expression Never a dull moment.[22]

Similarly, the Hebrew word דיבוב dibúv ("speech, inducing someone to speak"), which is a false cognate of (and thus etymologically unrelated to) the phono-semantically similar English word dubbing, is then used in the Israeli phono-semantic matching for dubbing. The result is that in Modern Hebrew, דיבוב dibúv means "dubbing".[23]

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Moss (1992), p. ?.
  2. ↑ Szubko-Sitarek, Weronika (2014-10-07). Multilingual Lexical Recognition in the Mental Lexicon of Third Language Users. Springer. p. 106. ISBN 978-3-642-32194-8.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Chamizo-Domínguez (2008), p. 166.
  4. ↑ Harper, Douglas. "Pretend". The Online Etymological Dictionary. Retrieved 2015-09-14.
  5. ↑ Jakobson, R. (1962) "Why 'mama' and 'papa'?" In Jakobson, R. Selected Writings, Vol. I: Phonological Studies, pp. 538–545. The Hague: Mouton.
  6. ↑ Nichols, J. (1999) "Why 'me' and 'thee'?" Historical Linguistics 1999: Selected Papers from the 14th International Conference on Historical Linguistics, Vancouver, 9–13 August 1999, ed. Laurel J. Brinton, John Benjamins Publishing, 2001, pages 253-276.
  7. ↑ Bancel, P.J. and A.M. de l'Etang. (2008) "The Age of Mama and Papa" Bengtson J. D. In Hot Pursuit of Language in Prehistory: Essays in the four fields of anthropology. (John Benjamins Publishing, Dec 3, 2008), pages 417-438.
  8. ↑ Bancel, P.J. and A.M. de l'Etang. (2013) "Brave new words" In New Perspectives on the Origins of Language, ed. C. Lefebvre, B. Comrie, H. Cohen (John Benjamins Publishing, Nov 15, 2013), pages 333-377.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 Kroonen, Guus (2013) Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 11), Leiden, Boston: Brill
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 Oxford English Dictionary, Second edition.
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 11.4 11.5 11.6 Campbell, Lyle; Mixco, Mauricio J. (2007). A Glossary of Historical Linguistics. Edinburgh University Press. p. 29. ISBN 978-0-7486-2378-5.
  12. ↑ "policy". Online Etymology Dictionary.
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 Lyle Campbell, Historical Linguistics: An Introduction, 3rd edition, p. 350
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 Taggart, Caroline (5 November 2015). New Words for Old: Recycling Our Language for the Modern World. Michael O'Mara Books. ISBN 9781782434733 – via Google Books. Emoji is made up of the Japanese for picture (e) and character (moji) so its resemblance to emotion and emoticon is a particularly happy coincidence.
  15. ↑ Lyle Campbell, Historical Linguistics: An Introduction, 3rd edition, p. 355
  16. ↑ Schomer, Karine; McLeod, W. H. (1987). The Sants: Studies in a Devotional Tradition of India. Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass. p. 3. ISBN 978-81-208-0277-3. OCLC 879218858. Retrieved 7 November 2018. Thus conceptually as well as etymologically, it differs considerably from the false cognate 'saint' which is often used to translate it. Like 'saint', 'sant' has also taken on the more general ethical meaning of the 'good person' whose life is a spiritual and moral exemplar, and is therefore attached to a wide variety of gurus, 'holy men', and other religious teachers.
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 17.2 17.3 Bárczi, Géza (1958). A magyar szókincs eredete. Budapest: Tankönyvkiadó. p. 8.
  18. ↑ "have - Search Online Etymology Dictionary". www.etymonline.com.
  19. ↑ Hevesi, Francis. "Kahuna and kohen: A study in comparative religion". Social Process in Hawaii. 16: 30–33.
  20. ↑ de la Fuente, José Andrés Alonso (2010). "Urban legends: Turkish kayık 'boat' | "Eskimo" Qayaq 'Kayak'" (PDF). Studia Linguistica Universitatis Iagellonicae Cracoviensis. Retrieved 2015-03-06.
  21. ↑ "'Arigato in Japanese and Obrigado in Portuguese', Semantic Enigmas". The Guardian. Retrieved June 24, 2021.
  22. ↑ Page 91 of Zuckermann, Ghil'ad (2003). Language Contact and Lexical Enrichment in Israeli Hebrew. Palgrave Macmillan. ISBN 9781403917232.
  23. ↑ Page 96 of Zuckermann, Ghil'ad (2020). Revivalistics: From the Genesis of Israeli to Language Reclamation in Australia and Beyond. New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780199812790.

Works cited

  • Chamizo-Domínguez, Pedro J. (2008), Semantics and Pragmatics of False Friends, New York/Oxon: Routledge
  • Moss, Gillian (1992), "Cognate recognition: Its importance in the teaching of ESP reading courses to Spanish speakers", English for Specific Purposes, 11 (2): 141–158, doi:10.1016/s0889-4906(05)80005-5

Further reading

  • Rubén Morán (2011), 'Cognate Linguistics', Kindle Edition, Amazon.
  • Geoff Parkes and Alan Cornell (1992), 'NTC's Dictionary of German False Cognates', National Textbook Company, NTC Publishing Group.
  • Jakobson, Roman (1962), "Why 'mama' and 'papa'?", Selected Writings, I: Phonological Studies, The Hague: Mouton, pp. 538–545
  • Trask, R. Larry (2004), Where do mama/papa words come from?, University of Sussex Working Papers in Linguistics and English Language LxWP 10/04, Brighton, UK: Department of Linguistics and English Language, University of Sussex
Retrieved from "https://wiki.tachyony.co.uk/w/index.php?title=False_cognate&oldid=99230"