Cognate
adjective
Having the same origin or related to something.
Spanish, Italian, and French are all cognate languages, they all come from Latin.
Often appears as...
- cognate languages
- cognate forms
Usage tips
Academic
noun
A word that is similar in multiple languages because it has the same origin.
The word 'night' in English and 'nacht' in German are cognates.
Often appears as...
- are cognates
- false cognates
Usage tips
Academic
adjective
Having the same origin or related to something.
Spanish, Italian, and French are all cognate languages, they all come from Latin.
Often appears as...
- cognate languages
- cognate forms
Usage tips
Academic
noun
A word that is similar in multiple languages because it has the same origin.
The word 'night' in English and 'nacht' in German are cognates.
Often appears as...
- are cognates
- false cognates
Usage tips
Academic
Definition 1 of 2
Pro Tip 1/3Language Families
Cognate adjectives indicate languages with shared ancestry, like siblings in a family.
Romance languages are cognate, having evolved from Latin.
Pro Tip 2/3Academic Use
Often used in linguistics to discuss language evolution and relationships.
The cognate nature of certain words can help trace historical language changes.
Pro Tip 3/3Cultural Connections
Understanding cognate languages can reveal cultural and historical links between peoples.
Learning about cognate cultures enriches our understanding of history.
Pro Tip 1/3Language Families
Cognate adjectives indicate languages with shared ancestry, like siblings in a family.
Romance languages are cognate, having evolved from Latin.
Pro Tip 2/3Academic Use
Often used in linguistics to discuss language evolution and relationships.
The cognate nature of certain words can help trace historical language changes.
Pro Tip 3/3Cultural Connections
Understanding cognate languages can reveal cultural and historical links between peoples.
Learning about cognate cultures enriches our understanding of history.
Pro Tip 1/3Language Families
Cognate adjectives indicate languages with shared ancestry, like siblings in a family.
Romance languages are cognate, having evolved from Latin.
Pro Tip 2/3Academic Use
Often used in linguistics to discuss language evolution and relationships.
The cognate nature of certain words can help trace historical language changes.
Pro Tip 3/3Cultural Connections
Understanding cognate languages can reveal cultural and historical links between peoples.
Learning about cognate cultures enriches our understanding of history.
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Quote examples
Michael Redhill
Canadian Poet
The idea of a pseudonym had been flitting around my brain for a long time, along with its cognate, disappearance. In the 1980s, I published some poems under a pen name in a literary magazine to see what it would feel like. It was fun. It was even a little thrilling.
Quote examples
Victor Hugo
French Author
The ideal and the beautiful are identical; the ideal corresponds to the idea, and beauty to form; hence idea and substance are cognate.
Quote examples
Michael Redhill
Canadian Poet
The idea of a pseudonym had been flitting around my brain for a long time, along with its cognate, disappearance. In the 1980s, I published some poems under a pen name in a literary magazine to see what it would feel like. It was fun. It was even a little thrilling.
Quote examples
Victor Hugo
French Author
The ideal and the beautiful are identical; the ideal corresponds to the idea, and beauty to form; hence idea and substance are cognate.
Example 1 of 2
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