cognate Hear it!

cognate definition

cog·nate (käg′nāt′)

adjective

  1. related by family; having the same ancestor
  2. having the same nature or quality
  3. Linguis. related through the same source; derived from a common original form English apple and German apfel are cognate words; English and Flemish are cognate languages

Etymology: L cognatus, related by birth < co-, together + gnatus, pp. of gnasci, older form of nasci, to be born: see genus

noun

    1. a person related to another through common ancestry
    2. a relative on the mother's side
  2. a cognate word, language, or thing

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2005 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Comments
Improve this definition.
Do you have more to add? Share your linguistic knowledge or observation.
/Register to save your comments.