Definition:
An informal term in linguistics for pairs of words in two languages that look and/or sound the same but have different meanings. See also: cognate.
Examples and Observations:
- "You'd think you can figure out the meanings if you come across the words embarazada, tasten, and stanza in Spanish, German, and Italian respectively. But watch out! They actually mean 'pregnant,' 'to touch or feel,' and 'room' in the respective languages."
(Anu Garg, Another Word a Day, Wiley, 2005) - "At the simplest level there can be trivial confusion between everyday words such as French carte (card, menu, etc.) and English cart or German aktuell (at present) and English actual. But more problematic conflicts of meaning arise with trade names. America's General Motors had to find a new name for their Vauxhall Nova car in Spain when it was discovered that no va in Spanish means 'doesn't go.'"
(Ned Halley, Dictionary of Modern English Grammar, Wordsworth, 2005) - "The vocabulary of Old English presents a mixed picture, to those encountering it for the first time. . . . Particular care must be taken with words which look familiar, but whose meaning is different in Modern English. An Anglo-Saxon wif was any woman, married or not. A fugol 'fowl' was any bird, not just a farmyard one. Sona ('soon') meant 'immediately.' not 'in a little while': won (wan) meant 'dark,' not 'pale'; and faest (fast) meant 'firm, fixed,' not 'rapidly.' These are 'false friends,' when translating out of Old English."
(David Crystal, The Cambridge Encyclopedia of the English Language, 2nd ed., Cambridge University Press, 2003) - "An example of a false cognate is the English jubilation and the Spanish jubilación. The English word means 'happiness,' while the Spanish one means 'retirement, pension (money).'"
(Christine A. Hult and Thomas N. Huckin, The New Century Handbook, Allyn and Bacon, 1999)
Also Known As: false cognates, faux amis, deceptive cognates
