Entertainment / Literature / Faux Amis: (French, 'false friends') Words in two languages that may technically be cognates with each other (i.e., descended down two separate etymological branches to a common root word), but which are not equivalent in meaning because one or both of them have changed meaning over time from the original root word. For instance, the Spanish word embarazar and the English word embarrass look like cognates, and in fact, the English term was borrowed by way of French from the Spanish word. However, the English word has changed meaning to refer to humiliation, but in the original Spanish, the word embarazar means 'impregnate.' Even though technically descended from a common ancestor, and thus cognates, the two words are faux amis if we try to translate them as equivalents. Cf. Cognate.
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Entertainment / Music / Shamisen: Long-necked Japanese chordophone with three strings. MORE