Difference between revisions 4575618 and 4731278 on enwiki

See [[false cognate]], [[false friend]], [[list of words]], [[list of reference tables]], [[List of English-French Faux Amis]]


<table border=1>
<caption>Examples of false friends between [[English language|English]] and other languages</caption>
<tr>
<th>Non-English word
<th>Which resembles English
(contracted; show full)
<tr>
<td>alto ([[French language|French]])
<td>alto (singer)
<td>viola, alto (singer)

<tr>
<td>ananas ([[F
innisrench language|Finnish]])<br>
ananas ([[French language|French]])<br>
Ananas ([[Germrench]], [[Finnish language|Finnish]] and [[Romanian language|GermRomanian]])<br>
aAnanas ([[RomaniGerman language|RomaniGerman]])
<td>bananas
<td>pineapple

<tr>
<td>ânon ([[French language|French]])
<td>anon (''short for'' anonymous)
<td>baby donkey

<tr>
<td>apologie ([[French language|French]])<br>
apologie ([[Romanian language|Romanian]])
<td>apology
<td>praise, vindication

<tr>
<td>appoint ([[French language|French]])
<td>appoint
<td>(extra) contribution or help

<tr>
<td>arc ([[French language|French]])<br>
arc ( and [[Romanian language|Romanian]])
<td>arc, ark
<td>bow (weapon), arc

<tr>
<td>arme ([[French language|French]])<br>
arma ([[Spanish language|Spanish]])
<td>arm (body part)
<td>weapon

<tr>
<td>ask ([[Swedish (language)|Swedish]])
<td>ask
<td>small box; [[Ash tree|ash]] ([[tree]])

<tr>
<td>assortie ([[French language|French]])
<td>assorted
<td>matched, matching

<tr>
<td>assister ([[French language|French]])
<td>assist
<td>attend

<tr>
<td>atendi ([[Esperanto language|Esperanto]])<br>
attendere ([[Italian language|Italian]])<br>
attendre ([[French language|French]])
<td>attend
<td>to wait for; to expect

<tr>
<td>bald ([[German language|German]])
<td>[[bald]]
<td>soon

<tr>
<td>barn ([[Swedish language|Swedish]])
<td>[[barn (building)|barn]]
<td>child, children

<tr>
<td>beg ([[Manx language|Manx]])
<td>big
<td>little

<tr>
<td>bekommen ([[German language|German]])
<td>become
<td>obtain, receive, get (compare English "come by") <br>(Note: There is a joke to this in German: a German comes into a British restaurant and waits half an hour for his food. Finally, he asks the waiter:"When shall I become my steak?" "I should hope never, sir." 

<tr>
<td>beraten ([[German language|German]])
<td>berate
<td>give advicse, discuss

<tr>
<td>bilion ([[Romanian language|Romanian]])<br>
bilione ([[Italian language|Italian]])<br>
biljon ([[Swedish language|Swedish]])<br>
Billion ([[German language|German]])<br>
billion ([[French language|French]]) and ([[Norwegian language|Norwegian]])<br>
bill&oacute;n ([[Spanish language|Spanish]])<br>
<td>billion
<td>American '[[trillion]]' (10<sup>12</sup> or million million). The [[American English]] [[billion]] is in fact a false friend in [[German language|German]], [[Italian language|Italian]], [[Spanish language|Spanish]] and [[Swedish language|Swedish]] and means "Milliarde" (10<sup>9</sup> or thousand million) <br>Formerly did not apply to [[British English]] or where English was taught as a foreign language, but this is changing - see [[billion]].

<tr>
<td>bloc ([[Spanish language|Spanish]])<br>
Block ([[German language|German]])<br>
block ([[Swedish language|Swedish]])
<td>block
<td>note pad

<tr>
<td>bond ([[French language|French]])
<td>bond
<td>leap, bound

<tr>
<td>brand ([[Swedish language|Swedish]]<br>
Brand ([[German language|German]])
<td>[[brand]]
<td>[[fire]]

<tr>
<td>bras ([[French language|French]])
<td>[[Brassiere|bra]](ssiere)s
<td>[[arm]] (the body part)

<tr>
<td>brat (&#1073;&#1088;&#1072;&#1090;) ([[Russian language|Russian]])
<td>brat
<td>brother

<tr>
<td>brav ([[German language|German]])
<td>brave
<td>well-behaved

<tr>
<td>brushing ([[French language|French]])
<td>to brush
<td>a blow-dry (hairdresser's)

<tr>
<td>brutaal ([[Dutch language|Dutch]])
<td>brutal
<td>bold

<tr>
<td>calzone ([[Spanish language|Spanish]])
<td>[[calzone]]
<td>underwear

<tr>
<td>canto ([[Latin language|Latin]], [[Italian language|Italian]] orand [[Spanish language|Spanish]])
<td>canto
<td>I sing

<tr>
<td>car ([[French language|French]])
<td>car
<td>bus or coach; because

<tr>
<td>Car ([[German language|German]])
<td>car
<td>charter bus⏎
⏎
<tr>
<td>car ([[Romanian language|Romanian]])
<td>car
<td>I carry

<tr>
<td>casino ([[Italian language|Italian]])
<td>[[casino]]
<td>[[brothel]]

<tr>
<td>chair ([[French language|French]])
<td>chair
<td>flesh

<tr>
<td>chat ([[French language|French]])
<td>chat (conversation)
<td>cat



<tr>
<td>chef ([[French language|French]], )<br>
Chef ([[German language|German]])
<td>chef
<td>boss

<tr>
<td>compromiso ([[Spanish language|Spanish]])
<td>compromise
<td>promise

<tr>
<td>constipado ([[Spanish language|Spanish]])
<td>constipated
<td>(a) [[cold]]

<tr>
<td>corne ([[French language|French]])<br>
corno ([[Italian language|Italian]])
<td>corn
<td>horn

<tr>
<td>crayon ([[French language|French]])<br>
creion ([[Romanian language|Romanian]])
<td>[[crayon]]
<td>pencil (a wax crayon is ''crayon de cire'' in French)

<tr>
<td>culte ([[French language|French]])
<td>[[cult]]
<td>[[worship]] (as in ''lieu de culte'' = house of worship)

<tr>
<td>demander ([[French language|French]])
<td>to demand
<td>to ask or request

<tr>
<td>die ([[German language|German]])
<td>(to) [[Death|die]]
<td>the ([feminine and plural article; example: die Ehefrau (the wife), die H&auml;user (the houses))]

<tr>
<td>dick ([[German language|German]])
<td>[[dick]] (slang for the penis or a detective) also short for Richard, e.g. in idiom ("every) Tom, Dick and Harry"
<td>[[fat]] (adjective only), thick

<tr>
<td>diverse ([[Swedish language|Swedish]] and [[German language|German]])
<td>diverse
<td>various

<tr>
<td>dag (&#1491;&#1490;) ([[Hebrew language|Hebrew]])
<td>[[dog]]
<td>[[fish]]
(contracted; show full)
<tr>
<td>Kinn ([[German language|German]])
<td>kin
<td>chin

<tr>
<td>kontroll (Swedish)<br>
⏎
⏎
kontrollieren ([[German language|German]])
<td>control
<td>check, examine

<tr>
<td>korn ([[Swedish language|Swedish]])
<td>[[corn]]
<td>[[barley]]

<tr>
<td>Kraft ([[German language|German]])<br>⏎
⏎
kraft ([[Swedish language|Swedish]])
<td>craft
<td>power, strength

<tr>
<td>kreatur ([[Swedish language|Swedish]])
<td>creature
<td>cattle

<tr>
<td>Kritik ([[German language|German]])
<td>critic
<td>criticism, review

<tr>
<td>Last ([[German language|German]])<br>⏎
⏎
last ([[Swedish language|Swedish]])
<td>last
<td>load (transport), burden

<tr>
<td>lime ([[French language|French]])
<td>[[lime]]
<td>file (the tool)

<tr>
<td>Limo ([[German language|German]])
<td>[[limousine|limo]]
<td>[[lemonadesoft drink]]

<tr>
<td>limpa (Swedish)
<td>limp
<td>loaf (bread), carton of cigarette packages

<tr>
<td>List ([[German language|German]])<br>⏎
⏎
list (Swedish)
<td>[[list]]
<td>cunning, artfulness, ruse

<tr>
<td>lump (Swedish)
<td>lump
<td>discarded fabric, slang for mandatory military service

<tr>
<td>magasin ([[French language|French]])
magazin (&#1084;&#1072;&#1075;&#1072;&#1079;&#1080;&#1085;) ([[Russian language|Russian]])
<td>magazine
<td>store

<tr>
<td>main ([[French language|French]])
<td>main
<td>[[hand]]

<tr>
<td>mama ([[Georgian language|Georgian]])
<td>[[mother]]
<td>[[father]]

<tr>
<td>me ([[Finnish language|Finnish]])
<td>me
<td>[[we]]

<tr>
<td>me (&#40636;) ([[Mandarin Chinese|Mandarin]])
<td>me
<td>''interrogative marker''

<tr>
<td>merci (French)
<td>[[mercy]]
<td>thank you

<tr>
<td>mille ([[French language|French]])<br>Mille ([[German language|German (slang)]])
<td>million, mile
<td>thousand, mile

<tr>
<td>miséricorde ([[French language|French]])<br>
misericordia ([[Italian language|Italian]])
<td>misery
<td>mercy, forgiveness

<tr>
<td>Mist ([[German language|German]])
<td>[[mist]]
<td>dung, bullshitmanure, droppings

<tr>
<td>miting ([[Serbian language|Serbian]])
<td>[[meeting]]
<td>political [[demonstration]]

<tr>
<td>Mode (German)<br>mode (Swedish)
<td>[[mode]]
<td>[[fashion]], [[haute couture]]

<tr>
<td>monnaie ([[French language|French]])
<td>[[money]]
<td>change (''returned from a purchase''); [[currency]]

<tr>
<td>M&ouml;rder ([[German language|German]])
<td>[[murder]]
<td>murderer

<tr>
<td>nai (&#957;&#945;&#953;) ([[Greek language|Greek]])
<td>nay, no
<td>yes

<tr>
<td>Novelle ([[German language|German]])<br>⏎
⏎
novell (Swedish)
<td>novel
<td>short story

<tr>
<td>on ([[Serbian language|Serbian]])
<td>on
<td>he

<tr>
<td>once ([[Spanish language|Spanish]])
<td>once
<td>[[eleven]]

<tr>
<td>or ([[French language|French]])
<td>[[Two-letter English word|or]]
<td>[[gold]], now (introducing second proposition of a [[syllogism]])
(contracted; show full)<td>[[preservative]]
<td>[[condom]]

<tr>
<td>prospect ([[Romanian language|Romanian]])<br>
Prospekt ([[German language|German]])
<td>prospect
<td>brochure, [[Pamphlet|leaflet]]
, prospectus

<tr>
<td>prospekt ([[Swedish language|Swedish]])
<td>prospect
<td>prospectus, document or brochure detailing an offer (usually from a travel agent)

<tr>
<td>prospekt ([[Russian language|Russian]])
<td>prospect
<td>avenue

<tr>
<td>proces ([[Romanian language|Romanian]])<br>
process (Swedish)<br>
Prozess ([[German language|German]])
<td>[[process]]
<td>[[trial]] (at court)/(in Swedish and German mainly used to denote process but also means trial)

<tr>
<td>queue ([[French language|French]])
<td>queue
<td>tail

<tr>
(contracted; show full)<td>wer ([[German language|German]])
<td>where
<td>who

<tr>
<td>will ([[German language|German]])<br>vill ([[Swedish language|Swedish]])
<td>will
<td>
I/he/she/it wants

<tr>
<td>vink (Swedish)
<td>wink
<td>hint, wave (salutation)

<tr>
<td>winken ([[German language|German]])
<td>wink
<td>to wave

<tr>
<td>wo ([[German language|German]])
<td>who, woe
<td>where

<tr>
<td>vrist ([[Swedish language|Swedish]])
<td>[[wrist]]
<td>[[ankle]]

<tr>
<td>you (&#26377;) ([[Mandarin Chinese|Mandarin]])
<td>you
<td>to have

</table>