Sounds like it's still pretty unusual to me.
False friends thread
Re: False friends thread
Re: False friends thread
English pest (animal causing nuisance) and French peste (the plague)
English pestilence (a devastating infectious disease) and French pestilence (foul smell, stench)
English pestilence (a devastating infectious disease) and French pestilence (foul smell, stench)
Re: False friends thread
the two are linked, hence the pointed masks used by doctors in times of plague, the distant ancestors of our flat FFP masks.
- WeepingElf
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Re: False friends thread
German, BTW, has Pest 'plague' and Plage 'pest'
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- WeepingElf
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Re: False friends thread
A dangerous pitfall for Germans trying to speak English is the German word Fagott 'bassoon' (a loanword from Italian fagotto with the same meaning) which sounds very similar to an English homophobic slur.
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Re: False friends thread
Interestingly enough, faggot (not fag) in English was originally not a homophobic slur but rather referred to pieces of wood (for burning).WeepingElf wrote: ↑Mon Sep 18, 2023 3:32 pm A dangerous pitfall for Germans trying to speak English is the German word Fagott 'bassoon' (a loanword from Italian fagotto with the same meaning) which sounds very similar to an English homophobic slur.
Yaaludinuya siima d'at yiseka ha wohadetafa gaare.
Ennadinutha gaare d'ate ha eetatadi siiman.
T'awraa t'awraa t'awraa t'awraa t'awraa t'awraa t'awraa.
Ennadinutha gaare d'ate ha eetatadi siiman.
T'awraa t'awraa t'awraa t'awraa t'awraa t'awraa t'awraa.
- WeepingElf
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Re: False friends thread
Yes. Italian fagotto originally meant 'bundle of twigs, reeds, etc.' and was later transferred to the musical instrument - the words are related.Travis B. wrote: ↑Mon Sep 18, 2023 7:33 pmInterestingly enough, faggot (not fag) in English was originally not a homophobic slur but rather referred to pieces of wood (for burning).WeepingElf wrote: ↑Mon Sep 18, 2023 3:32 pm A dangerous pitfall for Germans trying to speak English is the German word Fagott 'bassoon' (a loanword from Italian fagotto with the same meaning) which sounds very similar to an English homophobic slur.
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Re: False friends thread
Or a meatball made mostly from offal!
Re: False friends thread
Hebrew/Spanish:
מסיבה: Mesibah (Means party in Hebrew)
Masiva: Is the feminine singular for Massive, in Spanish.
I got this false friend from a song in Spanish. I thought it was about parties.
מסיבה: Mesibah (Means party in Hebrew)
Masiva: Is the feminine singular for Massive, in Spanish.
I got this false friend from a song in Spanish. I thought it was about parties.
Re: False friends thread
I have more in hebrew:
מים: maim, water
ma'am: english
קל: easy (kal)
EDIT: cal (Spanish for lime, the mineral)
מים: maim, water
ma'am: english
קל: easy (kal)
EDIT: cal (Spanish for lime, the mineral)