Faux-ami
/fozami/
Foze
ah-me
‘False
friend’. Is said of a deceiving word that looks familiar doesn’t mean what you would think it does.
For
example, ‘piece’ is a morceau when pièce is ‘coin’, and coin is ‘corner’…
In French 'forgiveness' is pardon. But a 'pardon' in English means grâce in French, and when the Americans say 'Grace' the French (seldom) say Bénédicité...
In French 'forgiveness' is pardon. But a 'pardon' in English means grâce in French, and when the Americans say 'Grace' the French (seldom) say Bénédicité...
Or
an entrée is an ‘appetizer’
and a plat is an ‘entrée’. But an entrée is also a ‘doorway’.
I
actually like faux-amis so much that
I might end up with a specific entry for them (which has nothing to do with an
entrée… oh I’m confused).
Wanna play
?