PODCAST

Cognate Cognizance Podcast

Tammy Marshall

Knowing cognates can strengthen your vocabulary skills. cognatecognizance.substack.com

education language learning

All Episodes

8:23

Corporal

Cognate Cognizance Podcast ·

2024/06/02

When learning Spanish, one of the early vocabulary units tends to cover words for basic body parts. A few of those words have fairly obvious English cognates, but some have lesser-known ones that not only can help you remember the Spanish words but can also improve your English lexicon in the process.From the Latin word for “body” — corpus — we get the adjective that refers to things relating to the body — “corporal.” That word has an exact cognate in Spanish with a slightly different pronunciation

6:00

Disport

Cognate Cognizance Podcast ·

2024/04/30

This week’s “Cognate Cognizance” duo is one that I wish I’d known during those 30 years in which I was teaching Spanish. I came upon the English word, which is now considered mostly archaic, while reading “Moby Dick” recently. The moment I saw the word, I had one of those “ah-ha moments” in which I figuratively (and perhaps literally) slapped my head while simultaneously groaning aloud in frustration. Again, if only I’d known this word when I was teaching Spanish, it would have come in so handy.So,

6:54

Vestural

Cognate Cognizance Podcast ·

2024/03/25

This is April’s free post one week early because I need to take next week off — and no, this isn’t an early April Fool’s Day joke. I’ll return with a post for paying subscribers on April 8th, but I’ve made this post extra long for my paying subscribers’ benefit.Let’s begin with the cognate duo.vestural — an adjective meaning “of or relating to clothing or vesture”vestural — the Spanish cognate of the same meaning.I begin with that duo because they are spelled exactly the same, and I’m hoping they

4:01

Ample

Cognate Cognizance Podcast ·

2024/03/04

I dream of having a home library that is ample enough to hold all my books in one room or a wall like the one pictured that is more than ample enough. ample — an adjective meaning that something is “more than adequate in size, scope, or capacity”amplio/amplia — the masculine and feminine forms of the Spanish cognate of the same meaning“Ample” is a great word that doesn’t get used as much in English as it does in Spanish, in my opinion. The cognates come from Latin’s amplus and the word has retained

4:55

Career

Cognate Cognizance Podcast ·

2024/02/05

Are you confused as to why there is a photo of a woman jousting on a post about the word “career?” If you are, then you’re about to learn something. If you’re not, then give yourself a pat on the back for already having some solid cognate cognizance.The meaning of “job” or “profession” for “career” is not the original sense of the word, so let’s look at what those original senses are.career — as a noun, “career” is a “course” or “passage” of something, the “speed” of something, a “charge” or

4:21

Resolution

Cognate Cognizance Podcast ·

2024/01/01

I’d be remiss to allow this Monday that falls on the first day of January, 2024, to slip by without addressing a cognate duo that may be on many people’s minds today.resolution — while this word has many meanings, the one I’ll focus on today is “something that is resolved or for which a firm decision has been made regarding it”resolución — the Spanish cognate of the same meaningThese words hearken back to Latin’s resolutio which comes from resolvere which is the ancestor of our word “resolve” and

3:45

Prolix

Cognate Cognizance Podcast ·

2023/12/04

Have you ever been accused of being a “Chatty Cathy?” (I’m showing my age by using that expression, I’m sure.) If so, you are probably a “prolix” person. Maybe a “Prolix Polly” or a “Verbose Veronica,” or a . . . oops, now I’m being “prolix.”prolix — an adjective describing someone using excess words; something written or spoken that is too long and drawn outprolijo — the Spanish masculine cognate of the same meaningprolija — the Spanish feminine cognateOne of the many benefits I encountered while

3:26

Isthmus

Cognate Cognizance Podcast ·

2023/11/06

(I apologize for the unavoidable car noises in the background of the recording. There’s no getting away from it right now because there’s a very busy avenue right outside my room here in Mexico.)The Panama Canal runs through the narrowest part of the “isthmus” of Panama.isthmus — a narrow strip of land connecting two larger land massesistmo — the Spanish cognate of the same meaningAn “isthmus” can also be a “narrow anatomical part” that connects larger parts. Perhaps that makes you think of your

4:21

Literature

Cognate Cognizance Podcast ·

2023/10/02

literature — I doubt this needs a definition, but essentially, it’s “the writings in prose or verse” of humankindliteratura — the Spanish cognate of the same meaning/sGiven my love of literature and the fact that I’m an author myself, I’m a bit embarrassed that I haven’t covered this cognate duo before, but better late than never as the old saying goes.These words come from Latin’s littera which means “letter” as in letter of the alphabet. All “literature” comes from words, and when you go through

3:27

Foment

Cognate Cognizance Podcast ·

2023/09/10

foment — a verb meaning “to incite” or rouse or encourage or instigatefomentar — the Spanish cognate of the same meanings.“Foment” is a verb that nowadays usually carries a negative “fiery” connotation but it had a “warm” beginning. We tend to hear it now in media reports about people “fomenting rebellions” or other criminally charged events, but “foment” comes to us from Latin’s fovēre which means “to soothe” and “to heat.”We originally used the word “foment” to tell someone to “foment” a sore

3:52

Labor

Cognate Cognizance Podcast ·

2023/09/04

I hope you are fortunate to have the day off from work, but I know that some people still have to work, or do labor, on this day anyway. In honor of the day, though, let’s examine the word “labor” and its relatives.labor — a noun that in its simplest definition means “work” (— this word can also be used as a verb, “to labor,” and as an adjective, “a labor leader”)labor — concerning the noun version of the word, this is the Spanish cognate of the same meaning, even though they more frequently use

3:49

Decide

Cognate Cognizance Podcast ·

2023/08/28

While it’s not a “yellow wood” like the one in the famous Robert Frost poem, in the above photo there are two paths, so if you were this girl, which would you choose? There is a “decision” to be made before moving forward. She has to “decide.”decide — a verb meaning “to make a final choice about something”decidir — the Spanish cognate of the same meaningdecidere — the Italian cognate of the same meaningI “decided” to include the Italian cognate this week because it’s the same as the Latin ancestor

3:58

Plume

Cognate Cognizance Podcast ·

2023/08/15

plume — a noun meaning a “feather” in its simplest definitionpluma — the Spanish cognate of the same meaningThese words come from Latin’s pluma which also means a “feather.” In Latin, however, it tended to refer to a “small, soft feather,” whereas in English, we tend to think of a “plume” as a “large, showy feather.”Since it takes a large feather, or a “plume,” to create one of the original type of “pens,” perhaps it’s no wonder that a common word for “pen” in Spanish is also “pluma.” When learning

3:55

Fair

Cognate Cognizance Podcast ·

2023/08/07

I know, I know. I’m a little old to be entering things in the county fair, but I wanted to give it a whirl and see how one of my watercolors would do. I also wrote a story about the county fair, and it’s running on the first page of the Norfolk Daily News today, so I thought it was a fitting time to discuss a certain cognate duo — and an extra one.fair — the NOUN that means a “competitive exhibition that usually also has entertainment and amusements”feria — the Spanish NOUN cognate of the same

4:26

Opus

Cognate Cognizance Podcast ·

2023/07/31

Years ago, (28 to be exact) I watched a phenomenal movie called “Mr. Holland’s Opus.” If you have never seen it, that is your homework for the week.Prior to seeing that movie, though, I hadn’t ever heard of the word “opus,” or perhaps I had but didn’t really understand what it was until after seeing the movie.opus — essentially, an “opus” is a “work” as in anything produced by the exertions of creative talent; an artistic productionopus — the Spanish cognate of the same meaning, used primarily for a

2:40

Incommode

Cognate Cognizance Podcast ·

2023/07/10

incommode — a verb meaning “to inconvenience,” “to distress”, “to disturb”incomodar — the Spanish verb of the same meaningsThese words come down to us from Latin’s incommodus, meaning “inconvenient.” Essentially it’s a combination of the prefix in- that means “not” and the word “commodus” that means “convenient.”If something is “convenient” to us, it provides what we need or what gives us “comfort.”Knowing that “incommode” is a verb meaning that you are NOT providing “comfort” to someone if you

3:03

Independence

Cognate Cognizance Podcast ·

2023/07/03

independence — the state of being independent, as in NOT being controlled or governed by othersindependencia — the Spanish cognate of the same meaning“Independence” and its cognates come to us from Latin’s dependēre which is a combination of the prefix of “de-” and “pendēre” which means “to hang.” Think of a pendant which is worn in a hanging fashion or something that is pendulous and hangs down or something that is pending approval and essentially hanging on and waiting for that approval.If you

3:50

Impeccable

Cognate Cognizance Podcast ·

2023/06/19

impeccable — an adjective used to describe something that is flawless or without sinimpecable — the Spanish cognate of the same meaningI recently read “The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom” by Don Miguel Ruiz.The first agreement says this: “Be impeccable with your word.”Ruiz goes on to explain the root of the word “impeccable,” which is Latin’s peccare and which means “to sin.” If you are “impeccable” then you are without sin, and if you are “impeccable with your word,” then

4:12

Debility

Cognate Cognizance Podcast ·

2023/06/13

debility — a noun meaning “weakness”debilidad — the Spanish cognate of the same meaningEarly in most Spanish textbooks there will be a list of adjectives used to describe people. Typically, they are arranged and taught as opposites. Thus, you get the Spanish words for “tall” and “short,” “pretty” and “ugly,” “old” and “young,” and “strong” and “weak.”The Spanish word for “weak” is “débil.” Of the many commonly taught Spanish adjectives, I think this word was one of the hardest for my students to

2:32

Radical

Cognate Cognizance Podcast ·

2023/05/29

radical — an adjective used to describe something that relates to or proceeds from rootsradical — the Spanish cognate used in the same wayThe etymological “root” of “radical” is Latin’s radix. Does that remind you of our vegetable, the radish? It should. The word “radish” comes straight from that Latin word for “root” because what is a radish but the “root” of a certain type of plant. I love to eat mine sliced with lemon juice and salt — yummy.“Radical” has taken on other meanings in English, but at

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