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Thursday, December 1, 2016

False Friends, as the French say, in language



French
The French have a word for it, translating into English as false friends, words which sound alike in two languages but are not the same.

Grand
In French grand is not grand (important) but merely large.

German
The German word Stadt is not state but city.
Mexico Stadt is not Mexico state but Mexico city.
Gross is German is large, but in English the word has negative connotations.

Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author, tutor and English language teacher.

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