Cognates
I have finished Pimsleur 1 and 11 - 60 lessons supposed to take 60 days. Took me over a year !
I have now started Michel Thomas, and although it is back to the begining it is, so far, reasonably quick as I 'know' much of it, but it is interspersed with new stuff, so I like to think I am gettng a more solid foundation.
But my question is why does this site not have a section on cognates ?
I just found a website and did some cut and pasting to make myself four pages of examples and rules( about 14).
Even if I only learn those words my English to Spanish vovab will have increased a 1000%- obviously Spanish to English I would have probably got it anyway.
It seems like an easy jump start to me - I am aware that some don't work, but it seems like a good little learner to me.
7 Answers
That's a good question. A lot of people don't seem to appreciate that there are thousands of words with the same meaning and a very close spelling (cognates), and they fail to recognize them when they hear them or even when they see them written down. Funny enough, a lot of students actually memorize all the words, along with their pronunciation.
Only with basic words, I estimate over 20,000 terms, or over 100,000 terms if we include technical terms.
Let me give you a slightly larger list of common words in -tion that can almost be easily turned into proper Spanish counterparts:
approbation, perturbation, masturbation, vacation, dedication, medication, indication, adjudication, specification, edification, solidification, codification, modification, disqualification, amplification, simplification, oversimplification, signification, personification, unification, reunification, verification, purification, falsification, classification, rectification, identification, notification, certification, justification, publication, implication, complication, application ', duplication, explication, communication, telecommunication, fabrication, intoxication, vocation, provocation, education, consolidation, intimidation, oxidation, recommendation, foundation ', accommodation ', creation, recreation, negation, obligation, investigation, navigation, interrogation, conjugation, appreciation, association, radiation, humiliation, variation, negotiation, abbreviation, cancellation, relation, compilation, ventilation, cancellation, oscillation, violation, isolation, legislation, translation ', calculation, circulation, regulation, simulation, stimulation, annulation, manipulation, insulation ', animation, estimation, inflammation, confirmation, information, combination, hallucination, subordination, coordination, imagination, contamination, decontamination, examination, elimination, discrimination, domination, termination, illumination, donation, participation, occupation, preoccupation, ration, declaration, reparation, preparation, separation, celebration, calibration, federation, consideration, moderation, refrigeration, acceleration, generation, degeneration, regeneration, remuneration, operation, cooperation, desperation, recuperation, integration, migration, emigration, immigration, aspiration, respiration, elaboration, collaboration, decoration, redecoration, deterioration, evaporation, corporation, incorporation, narration, aberration, impetration, concentration, remonstration, lustration, duration, configuration, saturation, condensation, sensation, interpretation, habitation, felicitation, debilitation, facilitation, imitation, irritation, plantation, lamentation, experimentation, documentation, instrumentation, presentation, representation, notation, annotation, dissertation, transportation, station, devastation, manifestation, contestation, reputation, evacuation, evaluation, devaluation, insinuation, continuation, equation, menstruation, actuation, punctuation, situation, excavation, elevation, activation, motivation, salvation, conservation, relaxation (j), fixation (j), oxidization, globalization, realization, legalization, socialization, commercialization, initialization, formalization, normalization, penalization, finalization, digitalization, equalization, visualization, stabilization, mobilization, immobilization, utilization, reutilization, civilization, systemization, urbanization, organization, disorganization, mechanization, colonization, democratization, action, reaction, traction, extraction, transaction, disinfection, confection, perfection, injection, disconnection, erection, correction, section, intersection, protection, contradiction, addiction, fiction, simplification, friction, conviction, function, malfunction, conduction, production, reproduction, introduction, obstruction, destruction, construction, reconstruction, ambition, tradition, addition, edition, condition, audition, nutrition, malnutrition, transition, position, composition, exposition, petition, repetition, competition, intuition, retention, attention, subvention, intervention, lotion, motion, emotion, commotion, notion, devotion, deception, reception, description, inscription, option, adoption, interruption, corruption, insertion, portion, distortion, digestion, question ', distribution, execution (j), pollution, solution, evolution, devolution, revolution, substitution, prostitution.
These
I have to say, though, that most of those false friends are quite commonly occurring words, so knowing them is a must, if you are going to rely on cognates.
Also, the reason why those false friends do not match is often interesting, and it has a certain logic (not always a predictable one, unfortunately). For example, "constipated" means etymologically "crammed together", and from that, obstructed. English decided to use to word referred to the bowel, while Spanish used it for respiratory blockage you get during a cold (in medicine it is used like in English, of course). Spanish speakers experience the worst of this false friends by saying aloud that they have a cold (constipado).
Quentin said:
Perhaps, Lazarus can estimate their number. If he can, you'll probably see why people don't trust assuming words are cognates.
I have several lists of cognates, and they easily amount to several thousands, even though the list is far from comprehensive, and a another of false friends (again, not comprehensive) of about 100, which means that these cognates work well over 99% of time; all you have to do is aware of those few false friends. I think these cognates can greatly enhance your vocabulary - they certainly worked for me when I learnt English.
It's probably because of the vast number of them. I think it would be more practical or useful to list a section of the
It did take me over a year not the 60 days that they say you can do it in.
Does anyone know what the learning curve for a new language looks like ?
Presumably in the beginning it is almost virtical because if you know no words and learn one, then your rate of increase is exponential.
But then what shape is the curve '
constipado - yea that's funny and I thought Lazarus was an English professor !
So does the board get a section for cognates with the rules and false friends within the rules ?
I have uploaded the work I did today if anyone wants to use it, ammend it, or add false friends
