cognate — related in origin, especially descended from the same ancestral language
Part of speech: ADJECTIVE
Definition: related in origin, especially descended from the same ancestral language
Pronunciation (IPA): /ˈkɒɡ.neɪt/
Example Sentences
- Because Spanish and English share Latin roots, words like 'hospital' are cognates—Spanish learners basically get free vocabulary!
- My linguistics teacher got way too excited explaining that 'mother' and the Korean-borrowed word have no cognate relationship at all.
- The word 'father' in English is cognate with 'Vater' in German and 'pater' in Latin.
cognate
ADJECTIVE[/ˈkɒɡ.neɪt/]
related in origin, especially descended from the same ancestral language

English 'night' and German 'Nacht' are cognate words from the same ancient root.
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🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
From Latin cognatus, meaning 'born together' or 'related by blood', formed from co- (together) and gnatus (born).
Breakdown
co- (together) + gnat- (born, from gnasci 'to be born') + -e
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“Because Spanish and English share Latin roots, words like 'hospital' are cognates—Spanish learners basically get free vocabulary!”
“My linguistics teacher got way too excited explaining that 'mother' and the Korean-borrowed word have no cognate relationship at all.”
“The word 'father' in English is cognate with 'Vater' in German and 'pater' in Latin.”
“Watch out for false cognates—Spanish 'embarazada' looks like 'embarrassed' but actually means 'pregnant'!”
“Learning cognate words is one of the fastest ways to expand your vocabulary in a related language.”
📚Related Words
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