cognate

American  

[kog-neyt] / ˈkɒg neɪt /

adjective

1. related by birth; of the same parentage, descent, etc.

2. Linguistics.  descended from the same language or form.

   such cognate languages as French and Spanish.

3. allied or similar in nature or quality.

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noun

1. a person or thing cognate with another.

2. a cognate word.

   The English word cold is a cognate of German kalt.

cognate British  

/ ˈkɒɡneɪt /

adjective

1. akin; related

   cognate languages

2. related by blood or descended from a common maternal ancestor Compare agnate

3. grammar a noun functioning as the object of a verb to which it is etymologically related, as in think a thought or sing a song

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noun

1. something that is cognate with something else

Other Word Forms

• cognately adverb
• cognateness noun
• cognatic adjective
• cognation noun
• noncognate adjective

Etymology

Origin of cognate

1635–45; < Latin cognātus, equivalent to co- co- + -gnātus (past participle of gnāscī, nāscī to be born)

Example Sentences

But the last word in his name is a cognate for the Chinese word for death, which bothers more superstitious clientele.

From Los Angeles Times

There's no close cognate to Liz Truss in American politics, and there's definitely nothing similar to the bizarre intra-party process that has landed her in Downing Street.

From Salon

“Domain” derives from Old French, denoting heritable or landed property; its Latin-derived cognate, “domicile,” means, of course, “home.”

From New York Times

For instance, English ‘water’ and German ‘wasser’ are clearly related, making them cognates that derive from the same ancient word—an example of stability.

From Scientific American

In the afterword to “Trust,” Lahiri explains why she chose not to use the English cognate “confidence” as the title of her translation.

From Los Angeles Times