noun
- a word that has the same form in two or more languages but differs in meaning (a false cognate).
Usage: linguistics; also called a false friend or false cognate
Examples
- The word 'gift' is an isolog between English and German, meaning 'poison' in German.
- Students learning foreign languages often encounter isologs that can lead to misunderstandings.
- The English word 'actual' and the French word 'actuel' are isologs with different meanings.
- Linguists study isologs to understand how languages can diverge in meaning despite similar forms.