False cognate

False cognates are pairs of words that seem to be cognates because of similar sounds 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 which came by their similar meanings via completely different Proto-Indo-European roots. This is different from false friends, which are similar-sounding words with different meanings, but which may in fact be etymologically related.

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][2] 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).[2] For example, English pretend and French prétendre are false friends, but not false cognates, as they have the same origin.[3]

"Mama and papa" type

The basic kinship terms mama and papa comprise a special case of false cognates.[4][5][6][7]

Examples

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

Between English words

Term 1	Etymology 1	Term 2	Etymology 2
day	OE dæġ << PG *dagaz << PIE *dʰogʷʰ-o-s << *dʰegʷʰ- ("to burn")	diary	Latin diārium << dies ("day") << Proto-Italic *djēm << PIE *dyḗws ("heaven") [8][9]
island	OE īġland << PG *awjōlandą or ea + land	isle	Latin insula

Between English and other languages

English term	English etymology	Foreign term	Foreign etymology
bad	PG *bad-	Persian بد, bad [10][9]	PIE *wed(h)-
dog	OE dogga	Mbabaram dog ("dog") [9]	Proto-Pama-Nyungan *gudaga
day	OE dæġ << PG *dagaz << PIE *dʰeǵʰ- ("day")[11]	Latin dies ("day") and descendants [8][9]	Proto-Italic *djēm << PIE *dyḗws ("heaven")
emoticon	emotion + icon	Japanese 絵文字 emoji [12]	絵 e ("picture") + 文字 moji ("character")[12]
hollow	OE holh << PG *holhwo-	Lake Miwok hóllu [10]
much	OE myċel << PG *mikilaz << PIE *meǵa- ("big, stout, great")	Spanish mucho ("much") [9]	Latin multus << PIE *ml̥tos ("crumbled")
saint	Latin sanctus << PIE *seh₂k- ("to sanctify")	Sanskrit sant and descendants [13]	sat ("truth, reality, essence")
cover		Arabic كَفَرَ kafara ("cover")

Between other languages

Term 1	Etymology 1	Term 2	Etymology 2
French feu ("fire")	Latin focus << PIE *bʰeh₂- ("to shine")?	German Feuer ("fire")	PG fōr ~ fun-[14][15][9] << PIE *péh₂wr̥
German haben ("to have")	PG *habjaną <<PIE *keh₂p- ("to grasp")	Latin habere ("to have") and descendants[16]	PIE *gʰeh₁bʰ- ("to grab, to take")
Russian странный stránnyj ("strange")	Old Church Slavonic страньнъ ("foreign") from the word страна ("country") <<Proto-Slavic *storna ("side, land") <<<<PIE *sterh₃- ("to stretch")	Italian strano ("strange")	Latin extraneus ("foreign") from extrā ("outside") + -āneus ("of or pertaining to").
Inuktitut ᖃᔭᖅ (kayak)	Proto-Eskimo *qyaq	Turkish kayık[17]	Old Turkic kayguk << Proto-Turkic kay- ("to slide, to turn")
Japanese ありがとう arigatō ("thank you")	ありがたく arigataku << Old Japanese ありがたし arigatashi	Portuguese obrigado ("thank you")	Literally "obliged" << Latin obligātus

References

Moss (1992), p. ?.
Chamizo-Domínguez (2008), p. 166.
Harper, Douglas. "Pretend". The Online Etymological Dictionary. Retrieved 2015-09-14.
Jakobson, R. (1962) "Why 'mama' and 'papa'?" In Jakobson, R. Selected Writings, Vol. I: Phonological Studies, pp. 538–545. The Hague: Mouton.
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.
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.
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.
Oxford English Dictionary, Second edition.
Campbell, Lyle; Mixco, Mauricio J. (2007). A Glossary of Historical Linguistics. Edinburgh University Press. p. 29. ISBN 978-0-7486-2378-5.
Lyle Campbell, Historical Linguistics: An Introduction, 3rd edition, p. 350
Kroonen, Guus (2013) Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 11), Leiden, Boston: Brill
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.
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 eithical 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.
see Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden: Brill
Lyle Campbell, Historical Linguistics: An Introduction, 3rd edition, p. 355
"have - Search Online Etymology Dictionary". www.etymonline.com.
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.

External links

Cognates.org

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[FOOTNOTEMoss1992?-1] Moss (1992), p. ?.

[FOOTNOTEChamizo-Domínguez2008166-2] Chamizo-Domínguez (2008), p. 166.

[3] Harper, Douglas. "Pretend". The Online Etymological Dictionary. Retrieved 2015-09-14.

[Jakobson-4] Jakobson, R. (1962) "Why 'mama' and 'papa'?" In Jakobson, R. Selected Writings, Vol. I: Phonological Studies, pp. 538–545. The Hague: Mouton.

[Nichols-5] 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.

[Bancel-6] 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.

[Bancel-2-7] 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.

[oed2-8] Oxford English Dictionary, Second edition.

[Glossary-9] Campbell, Lyle; Mixco, Mauricio J. (2007). A Glossary of Historical Linguistics. Edinburgh University Press. p. 29. ISBN 978-0-7486-2378-5.

[Campbell2-10] Lyle Campbell, Historical Linguistics: An Introduction, 3rd edition, p. 350

[11] Kroonen, Guus (2013) Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 11), Leiden, Boston: Brill

[Taggart-2015-12] 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.

[Schomer-1987-13] 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 eithical 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.

[14] see Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden: Brill

[15] Lyle Campbell, Historical Linguistics: An Introduction, 3rd edition, p. 355

[16] "have - Search Online Etymology Dictionary". www.etymonline.com.

[17] Fuente, José Andrés Alonso (2010). "Urban legends: Turkish kayık 'boat' | "Eskimo" Qayaq 'Kayak'" (PDF). Studia Linguistica Universitatis Iagellonicae Cracoviensis. Retrieved 2015-03-06.