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False Cognates - Cognados Falsos

False Cognates - Cognados Falsos

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Let's see who can find the most interesting false cognates. These are words in our new language that would seem to have the same meaning as they do in our first language. I once came accross the word "suburbio," and I thought it would mean the same as "suburb" in English, but it acutally means "shanty town." These meanings are quite different, so they are false cognates. Have you come accross any of these? Please try to respond in both Spanish and English.

Vayamos a ver quién puede encontrar los cognados falsos mas interesantes. Éstos son palabras en nuestra idioma nueva que parecería tener el mismo sentido que ellos hacen en nuestra primera lengua. Me encontré con la palabra -suburbio,- pensé que significaría el mismo como -suburb- in inglés, pero esto realmente significa el -barrio de chabolas.- Estos sentidos son completamente diferentes, así que son cognados falsos. ¿Han encontrado alguna de éstas? Por favor trate de responder tanto enspañol como inglés.

10601 views
updated Aug 7, 2012
edited by RiCrow
posted by RiCrow
Love the question... can't think of my favorites right now. - yahvey_hoffman, Aug 3, 2012
Good question. Hopefully there will be a lot of answers. - 0095ca4c, Aug 4, 2012
Hairsplitter here. *Technically*, your example, suburbio/suburb, is not a case of false cognates. That's called "false friends". Suburbio and suburb *are*, in fact, cognates - they both stem from the same Latin word - but have since come to mean slightly- - inkubzz, Aug 6, 2012
-different things. An example of false cognates would be mucho/much (their etymologies are entirely disparate). ;) Sorry about this, I just wanted to clear it up. I *love* the thread otherwise. Great job! ;) - inkubzz, Aug 6, 2012
Thanks for the clarification inkubzz. - RiCrow, Aug 7, 2012
Yeah, that's useful to know. - yahvey_hoffman, Aug 7, 2012