cognate
/ˈkɒɡneɪt/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈkɑːɡneɪt/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈkäg-ˌnāt How to pronounce cognate (audio)/ (ame, mw) · /ˈkɒɡ.neɪt/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈkɑːɡ.neɪt/ (ame, ipa)
cognate — adjective
- cognatepositive
- more cognatecomparative
- most cognatesuperlative
1. used for languages or words that come from one earlier source and still show a c
used for languages or words that come from one earlier source and still show a clear connection to each other
Ritu circled two cognate words on the Spanish worksheet.
collocation: cognate words
The guide showed how French and Italian are cognate languages.
be cognate languages
A classroom chart grouped several cognate verbs under one color.
Beatriz explained why the two terms were cognate with Latin roots.
- unrelated
shows no shared linguistic source
文法句型
cognate languages
cognate words
be cognate with something
用法筆記
Most common in language study, especially with words, roots, and language families. Distinguish from sense 2: this sense is about shared linguistic origin, not family descent.
常見錯誤
2. connected through the same family line or earlier ancestor
connected through the same family line or earlier ancestor
The family chart showed the two clans were cognate branches.
cognate branches
The historian called the royal houses cognate through Queen Ana.
be cognate through + ancestor
An old letter says the island families were cognate for generations.
Village elders knew the two chiefs were cognate, not strangers.
- unrelated
has no family link or shared line of descent
文法句型
cognate families
cognate lines
be cognate through somebody
用法筆記
A formal historical or genealogical use, usually applied to families, houses, or lines of descent. Distinguish from sense 1, which is the common language-study use.
常見錯誤
cognate — noun
- cognatesingular
- cognatesplural
1. a word in one language that comes from the same older root as a word in another
a word in one language that comes from the same older root as a word in another language
On the board, Sayaka wrote tooth and Zahn as possible cognates.
possible cognates
The app highlights English words whose Spanish cognates are easy to spot.
Spanish cognates
Lakan found a cognate for milk in several old Germanic languages.
The teacher warned that a false cognate can trick beginners.
- related word
is broader and does not always mean the words share the same historical root
- etymological relative
is explanatory rather than a common everyday label
- false cognate
looks related but did not come from the same older word
文法句型
a cognate in another language
false cognate
identify cognates
用法筆記
Used in linguistics and language learning, often when comparing related languages or warning learners about false cognates. Distinguish from sense 2, which can refer more broadly to a person or group with the same origin.
常見錯誤
2. a person, family, or group linked to another by the same family line or starting
a person, family, or group linked to another by the same family line or starting point
The old record treats the island chiefs as cognates from one royal line.
cognates from one royal line
The historian described the two clans as cognates, not rivals.
describe two clans as cognates
The archive lists the farming families as cognates of one another.
Village elders still call the two houses cognates through Queen Ana.
文法句型
cognates from one line
cognates of one another
call somebody cognates
用法筆記
A formal broad use for people or groups that share an origin. Sense 1 is narrower and belongs to language comparison.