Growing up, I spoke about three to four distinct languages at home- English, Urdu, Hindi, and Punjabi. I found that some words were interchangeable and some simply could not be taken out of context otherwise it would mean something totally different in another language when speaking in Urdu and Hindi. The reason behind this was that both languages are based off of Sanskrit-much like Spanish and English.
Two different languages can have cognates and false cognates, but can languages that aren’t directly derived from each other have cognates and false cognates as well? I believe it is possible.
Since Urdu is heavily influenced by Arabic and Farsi (Persian language), there are cognates and false cognates that also exist between this language and Spanish. In this case, I feel it is important to keep in mind the history of the language. At times, it feels as though people forget the Arabic influence on Spanish, and the integration of Arabic words and phrases into the language, much like Urdu which has developed from combination of multiple South Asian dialects and Arab influence.
As someone who is still learning to speak Spanish, I run across words that that sound so similar and hope it means the same thing as I’ve grown up learning. I suppose it’s a matter of luck at times when I do find cognates but I have to make sure to really understand what the meaning is of that word before I begin to use it instead of making a mistake.
Some cognates I’ve noticed between Urdu and Spanish are:
La naranja-Narangi
El Armario-Amari
El Sabon-Sabun
La meza-Mez
On the other hand, some false cognates I’ve ran I’ve seen are:
El nacar (mother of pearl) – Naqar (musical instrument)
La gasa (guaze)-Gaaz (grass)
El jarabe(cough syrup)-Sharaabe (alcohol)
La Alberca-Burqa (large robe)
Although cognates and false cognates between English and Spanish are confusing, they are even more confusing if you grew up speaking more than two languages at home. Sometimes it’s a catalyst for an embarrassing moment. It may seem overwhelming at times, but it always reminds me that language is something that brings us together. Despite the obstacles, I’m still determined to overcome the mish mosh of languages in my head, and grow intellectually as I continue to develop my skills in speaking Spanish.
Siempre pensé que ser bilingüe o trilingue facilitaba la tarea de aprender nuevos idiomas. Ya veo que también puede causar más confusión ya que ofrece una gama más amplia de falsos cognados.
Me interesa mucho saber que en Urdu “Sharaabe” tiene el sentido de “alcohol.”
Según el diccionario de la Real Academia Española, la palabra raíz de “jarabe” tenía el sentido de “bebida”:
jarabe.
(Del ár. hisp. šaráb, y este del ár. clás. šarāb, bebida).
Y así vemos como llegó a significar “alcohol” en un idioma, y “remedio” o “bebida muy dulce” en otro.