Cognates - A new hope
3000 allies in the struggle to learn French
Keep your friends close, and your false-friends even closer
Cognates are words that
share a common root with another (or more) language(s).
To understand cognate,
think of recognize
(or cognition,
etc).
Their spelling can be the same, fairly close or sound similar to their counterpart.
They are divided between false friends and 'real' friends.
Here are 3 excellent friends: commence,
continue, ressemble...
These three words are spelt and mean the same in both French and English.
But note that they are not pronounced the same!
A dubious friend: sensible:
English - having or showing good sense or judgement.
French- sensitive, perceptible, appreciable
(and in this intance appreciable is a good friend). |
|
The trouble with cognates and language teaching in general is that too much
focus has been made
on the much maligned false-friends. You need to know your 'enemies' but also need to know your allies.
Well I've got GOOD NEWS: there are around 3000 real friends in French and English.
In her book: 'Honni soit qui mal y pense', Henriette
Walters lists 3221 of them.
One friend, two shady characters
The good, the bad and the ugly friends * avenue/avenue
- actuellement/actually - panne/pan
(as in frying pan) |
| The good |
avenue |
fr. & eng. ◊ a wide street or thoroughfare. |
| The bad |
actuellement |
fr. ◊ at present, now. [Collins dic. definition (*)] |
| The Ugly |
Panne |
fr. ◊ breakdown (of vehicle or appliance). |
 |
Read this text, there are at least 8 cognates, can you recognize them?
George entre dans un restaurant et décide de s'installer à
une table près de la fenêtre.
Le garçon arrive et lui demande s'il désire voir le menu.
George répond que ce n'est pas nécessaire
parce qu'il sait ce qu'il veut commander
Can you spot them? solution.
Having recognized them, read and try to make sense of the paragraph.
Another example, where I have highlighted all the cognates.
Can you recognize this very controversial French politician?
Pouvez-vous reconnaître ce politicien français?
Je contrôle
et captive l'audience.
J'utilise une
propagande de
choc pour véhiculer
et présenter
mes opinions provoquantes.
Je regarde le
peuple avec
arrogance et
rancoeur.
Je recrute mes
collègues
et adhérents
parmi les fanatiques
et les désenchantés.
Ils forment
le support majeur
de mon parti politique.
Les bases de
mes idées?
Exagération, panique publique,
extrêmisme.
Je prêche
l'intolérance
et la division.
Qui suis-je? ... Mon nom?
(who am I? ... My name?)
Je m'apelle J...-M.... L. P..
back to topic 'Actualy' does
deal with 'actuality', conveying the correctness of a point of view, here and
now, expressing something contemporary, 'contemporain'.
Actually in English means in fact or right now translating
in French into 'en realité'
Without splitting hair, if 'actually' and 'actuellement' do not exactly mean
the same, they do share a certain similarity. This my personal interpretation anyway.
George entre
dans un restaurant
et décide
de s'installer à une table
près de la fenêtre.
Le garçon arrive
et lui demande
s'il désire
voir le menu.
George répond
que ce n'est pas nécessaire
parce qu'il sait ce qu'il veut commander back to text
