False Friends
Because Esperanto vocabulary is largely international, it shares many cognates with English. However, because they were often taken from languages other than English, these do not always have their English meanings. Some of the mismatches are:
- domaĝi (to spare), vs. difekti (to damage)
- embaraso (jam, obstruction), vs. hontigi (to embarrass)
- aktuala (current, up-to-date), vs. efektiva (actual), vs. efika (effective)
- eventuala (contingent), vs. rezulta (eventual)
- akurata (punctual, on-time), vs. preciza (accurate)
- kontroli (to check, keep track of), vs. regi (to control)
- konvena (suitable), vs. oportuna (convenient)
- rento (dividend income), vs. lupago (rent)
- paragrafo (section), vs. alineo (paragraph)
Read more about this topic: Esperanto Vocabulary
Famous quotes containing the words false and/or friends:
“Over the stark plain
The stilted mill-chimneys once again spread
Their sackcloth and ashes a flowing mane
Of repentance for the false day that’s fled.”
—William Robert Rodgers (1909–1969)
“If you want to know who your friends are, get yourself a jail sentence.”
—Charles Bukowski (1920–1994)
Related Phrases
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