What is CognateSource?
CognateSource is a free, community-built library that maps how words move between languages. Instead of a one-way translation lookup, every entry shows a word's relatives; cognates, loanwords, and regional variations, so you can see how ideas like "coffee" or "hospital" spread and changed across cultures.
Words Connected Across Languages
Every card represents one concept - see how the same idea appears across languages.
Fish
A cold-blooded vertebrate animal that lives in water, moving with the help of fins and breathing with gills.
The word derives from the Proto-Indo-European root *péysks, meaning a finned aquatic animal. This evolved into the Proto-Germanic *fiskaz, which transitioned through Old English 'fis?' into the modern English 'fish' via standard Germanic sound shifts.
Fisch
German
Vis
Dutch
Fisk
Swedish
Fiskur
Icelandic
Ichthys
Greek
Pīṣu
Sanskrit
House
A structure built or serving as an abode of human beings.
The English word 'house' traces back to Proto-Indo-European *h?s? (meaning 'house'), which evolved into Proto-Germanic *h?s. Through sound changes in Old English (e.g., loss of initial *s in some forms), it became 'h?s,' later regularized as 'house' in Middle English. A possible secondary link exists to the PIE root *(s)kewH- ('to cover/hide'), suggesting a semantic shift from concealment to dwelling.
Haus
German
Huis
Dutch
Hus
Swedish
Hus
Norwegian
Hus
Danish
Hús
Icelandic
Hus
Gothic
Hūs
Old English
Hūs
Old High German
Hús
Old Norse
Fish
A cold-blooded vertebrate animal that lives in water, moving with the help of fins and breathing with gills.
The English noun fish derives from Old English fis?, which in turn comes from Proto?Germanic *fiskaz. This word traces back to Proto?Indo?European *piskós, meaning ‘finned aquatic animal’, with the initial *p > *f in Germanic and the loss of the final ?s. The semantic core has remained consistent as a cold?blooded vertebrate that swims with fins.
Fiskr
Old Norse
Vis
Dutch
Fisch
German
Fiskur
Icelandic
Fish
Yiddish
School
A school is a place where people go to learn. It is also a word for a group of fish that swim together, a group of thinkers with the same ideas, or the act of teaching someone a skill.
The English word 'school' originates from the Proto-Indo-European root *se??- (to hold/possess), evolving through Proto-Germanic *sk?lu (a gathering) to Old English 'sc?l' (a place of education). It was influenced by Latin 'schola' (from Greek 'schole', meaning leisure), which shifted to denote an institution for learning, reflecting a semantic shift from 'leisure' to 'education'.
Scōl
Old English
Scuola
Old High German
Skóli
Old Norse
Skulō
Gothic
Schola
Latin
Escole
Old French
Scole
Middle Dutch
Scōl
Old Saxon
Skōl
Old Frisian
Bike
A short form for bicycle or motorcycle. Bicycle: A light vehicle with two wheels, one behind the other, powered by the rider pedalling with their feet.
The word 'Bike' originates from 'bicycle', which emerged in English in 1882. The term 'bicycle' was later shortened to 'bike', with one explanation suggesting it was parsed to 'bi(cy)c(le)' or 'bic(ycle)', resulting in the retention of the /k/ sound due to a general /k/~/s/ alternation pattern in English. This sound change, potentially influenced by the spelling 'c', led to the modern pronunciation of 'bike'.
Bicyclette
French
Bicicleta
Spanish
Bicicletta
Italian
Bicicleta
Portuguese
Bicicletă
Romanian
Bike
German
Fiets
Dutch
River
a natural, flowing stream of fresh water moving downhill through a channel toward an ocean, a lake, or another river.
The word 'River' originates from the Old French 'riviere', which is derived from the Latin 'riparia', meaning 'of a riverbank', and ultimately from 'ripa', meaning 'river bank'. This Latin term is thought to have come from the Proto-Indo-European root '*h?reyp-', which meant 'to scratch, tear, cut'. The word 'River' evolved from the Middle English 'ryver', displacing the native English word '?a'.
Rivière
French
Ribera
Spanish
Riva
Italian
Ribeira
Portuguese
Râu
Romanian
Ribera
Catalan
Ribièra
Occitan
Riva
Sardinian
Riviera
Corsican
Tomato
A widely cultivated plant, Solanum lycopersicum, having edible fruit.
The word 'Tomato' originates from the Aztecan language, specifically from the Proto-Aztecan-Nahuan language, with the root '*toma-' or '*toma-tl', which was then borrowed into Nahuatl as 'tomatl'. This term was later borrowed into Spanish as 'tomate', and subsequently into English, with a variant spelling 'tomato'. The journey of the word involves a chain of borrowing and evolution, with key sound changes occurring during the transition from Nahuatl to Spanish and then to English.
Tomate
Spanish
Tomatl
Nahuatl
Pomodoro
Italian
Lake
A small stream of running water; a channel for water; a drain.
The English word 'Lake' originates from Old English 'lacu', referring to a stream or watercourse, which is derived from Proto-Germanic '*lakiz', also meaning a stream or brook. This Proto-Germanic term is thought to have evolved from Proto-Indo-European '*legh-', indicating a body of water or a stream. Over time, the meaning of 'lake' shifted to include a body of fresh or salt water surrounded by land. The word has undergone significant sound changes and meaning shifts throughout its evolution.
Lache
German
Laak
Dutch
Lake
Frisian
Lækir
Old Norse
Lakiz
Gothic
Lahha
Old High German
Lake
Middle Low German
Lak
Old Saxon
Lak
Yiddish
Ocean
One of the large bodies of water separating the continents.
The English word 'Ocean' originates from Old French 'ocean', which is derived from Latin 'oceanus', meaning 'the great sea' or 'the ocean'. This Latin term is itself borrowed from Greek '???????' (?keanós), referring to the great river or sea believed to encircle the earth. The word has undergone minimal sound changes while being borrowed, retaining its core meaning as one of the large bodies of water separating the continents.
Océan
French
Océano
Spanish
Oceano
Italian
Oceano
Portuguese
Ocean
Romanian
Oceà
Catalan
Ocean
Occitan
Otzeanu
Sardinian
Sea
a large body of salt water that is smaller than an ocean and is partly or mostly surrounded by land
The English word "sea" comes from the Proto-Germanic root *saiwiz. Because of this, its true historical cognates (words that share the same linguistic ancestry) are found primarily within the Germanic language family. Additionally, because English uses other words for the ocean (like "marine" or "mere") that stem from different language roots, there are distinct sets of cognates depending on the ancestral root you look at.
Zee
Dutch
See
German (though die See means "the sea", while der See means "the lake")
Sjø
Norwegian / Swedish
Sø
Danish
Sær
Icelandic
Sea
English
Library
An institution which holds books and/or other forms of media for use by the public or qualified people often lending them out, as well as providing various other services for its users.
The word 'library' originates from the Latin 'liber', meaning 'book', and 'libraria', referring to a place for books. It entered English through the Old French 'librairie', which denoted a collection of books. The term has evolved to encompass institutions holding various forms of media, providing services to the public or qualified individuals.
Librairie
French
Libreria
Spanish
Livraria
Portuguese
Librarie
Romanian
Librería
Spanish
Librărie
Romanian
Llibreria
Catalan
Libraría
Galician
Breast
Either of the two organs on the front of a female human's chest, which contain the mammary glands; also the analogous organs in males.
The English word 'breast' comes from the Old English word 'br?st', which is derived from the Proto-Germanic word '*br?st'. This word is related to the Proto-Germanic word '*br?-', which means 'swelling' or 'protuberance'. The word 'breast' has traveled into English through the Germanic languages, and its meaning is related to the organs on the front of a female human's chest, which contain the mammary glands.
Brust
German
Borst
Dutch
Bröst
Swedish
Bryst
Norwegian
Brjóst
Icelandic
Boarst
Frisian
Water
uncountable An inorganic compound (of molecular formula H2O) found at room temperature and pressure as a clear liquid; it is present naturally as rain, and found in rivers, lakes and seas; its solid form is ice and its gaseous form is steam. Thesaurus:water
The English word 'water' comes from Old English 'wæter', which is derived from Proto-Germanic '*watar', itself borrowed from Proto-Indo-European '*wod-or', also the source of Latin 'aqua' and Greek 'hydor'. This ancestral root referred to water in its various forms. The word 'water' has been present in the English language since its earliest stages, with its meaning and usage evolving over time. The word's etymology is closely tied to the development of the Germanic languages and their interaction with other Indo-European languages.
Wasser
German
Vatten
Swedish
Vann
Norwegian
Vand
Danish
Vatn
Icelandic
Wetter
Frisian
Agua
Spanish
Eau
French
Acqua
Italian
Banana
An elongated curved tropical fruit that grows in bunches and has a creamy flesh and a smooth skin.
The word 'banana' comes from the Wolof language, spoken in West Africa, where it is known as 'banaana'. The word was borrowed into Spanish as 'banana' and from there it was borrowed into other languages, including English. The ancestral root of the word is likely from the Wolof word 'banaana', which refers to the fruit. The word 'banana' has been used in English since the 16th century to refer to the elongated curved tropical fruit.
Banane
French
Banaan
Dutch
Banan
Swedish
Orange
An evergreen tree of the genus Citrus such as Citrus sinensis.
The English word 'Orange' originates from the Sanskrit root 'naranga', meaning 'orange tree', which dates back to the 3rd century BCE. This root was borrowed into Latin as 'aurantius', likely through trade routes with India, and then into Old French as 'pomme d'orange' around the 12th century. The word then underwent a series of sound shifts, including the loss of the 'p' and the reduction of 'pomme' to 'orange', resulting in the Middle English form 'orange' around the 14th century. The Great Vowel Shift in English, which occurred between the 15th and 18th centuries, did not affect the word 'orange'. Instead, the word was influenced by the Norman Conquest of England, which introduced French loanwords into the English language. The word 'orange' was also carried along the Silk Road, a network of trade routes that connected Europe and Asia, and was borrowed into various languages, including Arabic, Persian, and Turkish.
Naranga
Sanskrit
Aurantius
Classical Latin
Pomme D'orange
Old French
Naranja
Spanish
Arancia
Italian
Laranja
Portuguese
Taronga
Catalan
Auranja
Occitan
Laranxa
Galician
Arantscha
Romansh
Aranciu
Sicilian
Sinaasappel
Dutch
Apelsin
Swedish
Appelsin
Norwegian
Appelsine
Frisian
Pomarańcza
Polish
Pomeranč
Czech
Portakal
Turkish (via Persian borrowing)
Burtuqal
Arabic
Narang
Persian
Sugar
Sucrose in the form of small crystals, obtained from sugar cane or sugar beet and used to sweeten food and drink.
Nearly every language in the world uses a cognate derived from the ancient Sanskrit word ?arkar? (originally meaning "ground sugar" or "gravel"). As sugar manufacturing technology spread westward through Persia and the Arab world, the word shifted to Arabic sukkar. European traders adopted this version, creating modern Western cognates (Sugar, Zucker, Sucre, Azúcar, Zucchero), while Asian and African trade routes kept closer to Sanskrit sh- sounds (Shakkar, ?eker, Sukari).
Śarkarā
Ancient Sanskrit (Origin)
Sucre
French
Zucker
German
Azúcar
Spanish
Zucchero
Italian
Suiker
Dutch
Socker
Swedish
Sukari
Swahili
Şeker
Turkish
Sakhar
Russian (Transliterated)
Shakkar
Hindi / Urdu (Transliterated)
Sáchari
Greek
Cukier
Polish
Sukkar
Arabic (Transliterated)
Tea
A hot beverage prepared by steeping cured leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant in boiling water. Derived from Min Nan Chinese? (tê), It spread worldwide along maritime and overland trade routes. The Rule of Thumb: If a country got its tea by sea, they usually say a variation of tea. If they got it by land, they usually say a variation of chai.
Thé
French
Té
Spanish
Tè
Italian
Thee
Dutch
Te
Swedish
Chai
Swahili, Hindi / Punjabi / Urdu
Chay
Russian / Bulgarian / Ukrainian /Uzbek / Kazakh
Çay
Turkish
Shāy
Arabic(the 'ch' sound shifted to 'sh')
Chá
Portuguese (Portuguese traders sailed directly from Macau, bypassing the Dutch routes).
Cha
Japanese / Korean (imported early via cultural exchange with northern China).
Astronomy
The study of the physical universe beyond the Earth's atmosphere, including the process of mapping locations and properties of the matter and radiation in the universe.
Astronomía
Spanish
Astronomie/radioastronomie
French
Astronomie
German
Astronomia.
Italian
Astronomia
Portuguese
Astronomi
Turkish
Mother
A (human) female who has given birth to a baby
Mutter
German
Madre
Italian
Moeder
Dutch
Mama
Swahili
Music
The word music comes from the ancient Greek word mousik? (pertaining to the Muses). Because European and many global languages borrowed this word from Greek and Latin, it has cognates worldwide.
mousikē
Ancient Greek (Origin)
Música
Spanish / Portuguese
Musique
French
Musica
Italian / Romanian
Musik
German / Danish / Swedish
Muziek
Dutch
Muzyka
Polish / Russian / Ukrainian
Muziki
Swahili
Muzik
Turkish / Malaysian / Indonesian
Mūzikā
Hindi
Myuzik
Korean
Police
Civil law enforcement organization.
From French police, from Latin politia.
Police
English
Polisi
Swahili
Polizei
German
Politie
Dutch
Polizia
Italian
Policía
Spanish
Coffee
Roasted coffee beverage.
Arabic qahwa ? Turkish kahve.
Coffee
English
Kahawa
Swahili
Café
French
Kaffee
German
Koffie
Dutch
Police
English
Police
Swahili
Polisi
German
Polizei
Dutch
Politie
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