• "False Friends" In English & Other Languages

  • Sep 20 2024
  • Length: 6 mins
  • Podcast

"False Friends" In English & Other Languages

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  • Summary

  • In this episode of Ms. English, we're looking at the fascinating world of "false friends" in linguistics — those tricky words that look or sound similar in different languages but have completely different meanings.


    If you've never heard of false friends, here are some examples:


    English & French:

    Actual (English: real, current) vs. Actuel (French: current, not "real").


    English & Spanish:

    Embarassed (English: feeling awkward or ashamed) vs. Embarazada (Spanish: pregnant).


    English & German:

    Gift (English: a present) vs. Gift (German: poison).


    English & Italian:

    Sensibile (Italian: sensitive, emotional) vs. Sensible (English: practical, reasonable).


    English & Portuguese:

    Pretend (English: to act like something is true) vs. Pretender (Portuguese: to intend or plan).


    We explore the origins of false friends, from shared etymology and homonyms to pseudo-anglicisms, and give examples from English and its interactions with languages like French, German, and Spanish.


    Learn how these linguistic quirks can lead to humorous misunderstandings, impact cross-cultural communication, and evolve through semantic change over time.


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