International Vocabulary

Discussion in 'General Language' started by Ctyri koruny, Jan 23, 2009.

  1. Ctyri koruny

    Ctyri koruny Well-Known Member

    It would be great if we could compile a list of words common not only to Czech and English but to other languages people on the boards might have knowledge of as well.

    artritida = arthritis
    akademický
    Asertivní
    Alergický (allergic)
    blábolit = babbling
    bio = organic food
    blok = block.. I'm not sure in what sense however
    chaos = chaos
    cenzurován = censorship
    desinfekční = antiseptic or disinfectant
    detail = detail
    dilema = dilemma
    elegantní ´= elegant
    evakuace ´= evacuation
    editor ´= editor
    faktor = factor
    faul = foul
    grafity = graffiti
    génius = genius
    hymna = hymn or anthem
    horizont = horizon
    historický = historic
    hybrid - hybrid
    Komplex (is as in complicated or as in he has a complex about...)
    Kánoe ´= canoe
    Kanál = canal
    kategorie ´= categories
    Kan´on = canyon
    Injekce (injection)
    infekce ´= infection
    ironický = ironic
    ignorovat = to ignore
    mania
    maniak
    manévr ´= manoeuvre
    medicína ´= medicine
    navigační = navigation
    nobl = noble .. but derogatory I think
    nervozni = nervous.. again not sure of what connotations it shares
    kombinace (combine / match )
    krize = crisis
    kosmopolitní = cosmopolitan
    kolega = college
    logo = logo
    publikovat (publish)
    rytmus = rhythm
    raft = raft
    trik (tricks)
    talent = talent
    typ (type)
    tendenci ´= tendency
    tolerovat = tolerate
    technika = technique
    oceán = ocean
    optimistický
    operace (operation/surgery)
    pesimistický
    panikařit
    pacient ´= pacient
    Stabilní (stable)
    slang = slang
    reakce = reaction or response
    recyklovat = recycle
    strategy (strategie)
    simulátor = simulator
    sum = suma
    vagon = wagon
    vandal = vandal
    virus = virus



    hope this list is helpful and people could ad to it, i've painstakingly compiled it using a dictionary so it shouldn't be infringing any copyrights sorry I'm not gifted with the Czech keyboard yet, also if any of these are not standard Czech words that'd be good to know!


    I know a few words that are similar but am not sure of the Czech form:

    Empathy
    Symbiotic
     
  2. Sova

    Sova Well-Known Member

    Such a plan/plán would be a complex/komplexní project/projekt, due to the large sum/suma of such words.
     
  3. Ctyri koruny

    Ctyri koruny Well-Known Member

    Hmmmm... but you could say that about learning languages!
     
  4. scrimshaw

    scrimshaw Well-Known Member

    atom
    atomický
    best seller(as in book)
    auto
    automatický
    energie
    energetický
    chemický..chemical
    prezident
    film
    data
    radio
    televize
    katedrála..cathedral
    čokoláda....chocolate
     
  5. wer

    wer Well-Known Member

    Sova is right, only the list of words of Latin or Greek origin shared by all the European languages is very extensive.

     
  6. Karel_lerak

    Karel_lerak Well-Known Member

    I have a dictionary "Zrádná slova v angličtině" = "Deceiving words in English"
    On 187 pages it lists words, which have similar spelling or pronunciation in czech and english, but different meaning 8)
     
  7. Alexx

    Alexx Well-Known Member

    Share some examples! :)
     
  8. Karel_lerak

    Karel_lerak Well-Known Member

    Just a few:

    defilé - 1 march-past 2 procession
    defile - soutěska

    dekáda - period of ten days
    decade - desetiletí

    demise - resignation
    demise - 1 smrt, 2 konec

    deska - 1 board, 2 plaque, 3 record 4 plate
    desk - 1 psací stůl, 2 oddělení

    Mostly the meaning is similar, but wider or narrower in one of the langauges 8)
     
  9. scrimshaw

    scrimshaw Well-Known Member

    I can add this...
    'defile' in english, as a noun, is never used, at least not commonly. I've never heard it.
    It is used as a verb...znesvětit
     
  10. Ani

    Ani Well-Known Member

    I don't really know if this is relevant to this post but one word that is spelt exactly the same in both Czech and English but has a completely different meaning (and pronunciation) is 'angina'. I remember being very concerned when one of my Czech friends told me that she had had a bad attack of 'angina' over the holidays only to find out that she had a sore throat and not heart problems.

    (As a little footnote though, I have just found out that it wasn't until the 18th Century that angina (pectoris) started to refer to the heart and that before it also just meant a throat infection.)
     
  11. Sova

    Sova Well-Known Member

    It is used as a noun, but it is more of a literary usage. I see this word all the time in novels.

    From Merriam-Webster: defile: (noun) a narrow passage or gorge
     
  12. scrimshaw

    scrimshaw Well-Known Member

    Hmmm, I guess that says something about how much I read.
     
  13. Ctyri koruny

    Ctyri koruny Well-Known Member

    I've only ever heard it as a verb.. meaning to damage

    I found out that 'faul' only works in football!
     
  14. Petr_B

    Petr_B Well-Known Member

    Aren't these just called "false friends", like concrete, actual, pasta, preservative, host etc..
     
  15. fabik317

    fabik317 Well-Known Member

    yeah, they are called "false friends" by high school english teachers, but does anybody know what the proper term is?
     
  16. Petr_B

    Petr_B Well-Known Member

  17. Ctyri koruny

    Ctyri koruny Well-Known Member

  18. kibicz

    kibicz Well-Known Member

  19. Polednikova

    Polednikova Well-Known Member

    Thanks, kibicz. Very interesting. I've learned from it that the word 'slang' probably came from "soldiers' language". I never knew that!
     

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