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ASTROGILDO ODON AGUIAR
ENGLISH
MATHEUS SCHERNOSCKI & ELIEL
COGNATES & FALSE COGNATES
BARRA VELHA, SC
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2024
What are they?
A cognate is a word that is related in origin to another word, such as the English word brother
and the German word bruder or the English word history and the Spanish word historia. The
words were derived from the same source; thus, they are cognates (like cousins tracing their
ancestry). Because they come from the same origin, cognates have similar meanings and often
similar spellings in two different languages.
And, false cognates are two words in different languages that appear to be cognates but
actually are not (for example, the English advertisement and the French avertissement, which
means “warning” or “caution”). They’re also called false friends.
Origins of Cognates:
The Romance languages have so much in common etymologically because the Roman
Empire brought Latin to those regions. Of course, regional dialects were already established
in present-day Spain, Portugal, France, Luxembourg, Belgium, Switzerland, and Italy, but
because of the relative stability of the empire, Latin influenced vocabulary throughout these
regions for a long period, especially in the sciences and law.
Following the collapse of the Roman Empire, Latin was still in use in various forms and
continued to move into areas where the empire hadn’t been, such as Slavic and Germanic
regions. It was useful as a universal language for people from different regions to be able to
communicate.
Christian missionaries brought the Roman alphabet to present-day Britain during the first
millennium of the common era, and Latin remained in use in the Catholic church even as the
Middle Ages evolved into the Renaissance.
When the Normans conquered England in 1066, Latin words and roots came into English via
Old French. Some English words also came from Latin itself, thus creating doublets, two
words with the same origin in the same language. The cognates would be the French words
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and the English words derived from them and the Latin originals. The derived words are all
related to a common ancestor.
Examples of Cognates:
ENGLISH PORTUGUESE
Accident Acidente
Agent Agente
Angel Anjo
Ambulance Ambulância
Area Área
Ahtlete Atleta
Banana Banana
Casual Casual
Chocolate Chocolate
Coffee Café
Comedy Comédia
Comic Cômico
Competition Competição
Composition Composição
Connect Conectar
Correct Correto
Creation Criação
Dance Dança
Dictionary Dicionário
Different Diferente
Economy Economia
Elephant Elefante
Electronic Eletrônico
Emotion Emoção
Example Exemplo
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Explanation Explicação
Future Futuro
Garage Garagem
Giraffe Girafa
Honest Honesto
Hour Hora
Human Humano
Idea Ideia
Important Importante
Innocent Inocente
Item Item
Material Material
Minute Minuto
Mission Missão
Moment Momento
Music Música
Musician Músico
Name Nome
Normal Normal
Number Número
Object Objeto
Offensive Ofensivo
Other Outro
Pages Páginas
Paint Pintar
Examples of False Cognates:
ENGLISH WHAT IT MEANS WHAT IT SEEMS LIKE
Adept Especialista Adepto
Anthem Hino Antena
Alias Pseudônimo Aliás
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To amass Acumular Amassar
Appointment Compromisso marcado Apontamento
Apology Pedido de desculpas Apologia
Argument Discussão Argumento
To assist Ajudar Assistir
To attend Participar Atender
Audience Plateia Audiência
Balcony Sacada Balcão
Braces Aparelho (dentes) Braços
Cigar Charuto Cigarro
Collar Coleira Colar
College Faculdade Colégio
Comprehensive Abrangente Compreensivo
Confident Confiante Confidente
Convict Condenado Convicto
Costume Fantasia Costume
Data Dados Data
Deception Ato de enganar Decepção
To dent Amassar Dente
To devolve Transferir Devolver
Diversion Desvio Diversão
To enroll Alistar Enrolar
Exit Saída Êxito
Exiting Empolgante Excitante
Exquisite Sofistificado Esquisito
Fabric Tecido Fábrica
To grip Agarrar firmemente Gripe
Idiom Expressão idiomática Idioma
Ingenuity Criatividade Ingenuidade
Inhabitable Habitável Inabitável
Injury Ferimento Injúria
To intend Pretender Entender
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Jar Pote Jarra
Journal Revista de especialidade Jornal
Lace Renda Laço
Lecture Palestra Leitura
Legend Lenda Legenda
Library Biblioteca Livraria
Location Localização Locação
Lunch Almoço Lanche
Magazine Revista Magazine
Mayor Prefeito Maior
Motel Hotel de beira de estrada Motel
To notice Notar Notícia
Novel Romance Novela
Office Escritório Oficial
Parents Pais Parentes
Pasta Massa Pasta
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Conclusion:
Well, with the knowledge of what cognates and false cognates are, we can see that even if the
English language has some words that look and sound a lot to portuguese, they don’t always
mean it, it’s just a coincidence because of the language English and portuguese came from, so
they still share some similiarities.
So, while speaking English, it’s important to know what you’re saying, because that way you
can differentiate the cognates from the false cognates, as it can have a great difference
between words.
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Bibliography:
https://www.todamateria.com.br/falsos-cognatos-no-ingles-false-friends/
https://www.thoughtco.com/what-is-cognate-words-1689859
https://www.todamateria.com.br/palavras-cognatas-em-ingles/
