A cognate is a word that has a common etymological origin with another one. Usually, cognates are inherited from a shared parent language, which accounts for their similarities. The fact that two words are cognates, however, does not mean they have to be similar in sound, meaning or appearance. Words that sound similar but do not have the same origin are called false cognates. On the other hand, words that are cognates but have opposite or different meanings are called false friends.
