cog·nate / ˈkägˌnāt/ • adj. 1. Linguistics (of a word) having the same linguistic derivation as another; from the same original word or root (e.g., English is, German ist, Latin est from Indo-European esti).2. formal related; connected: cognate subjects such as physics and chemistry. ∎  related to or descended from a common ancestor. Compare with agnate.• n. 1. Linguistics a cognate word.2. Law a blood relative.DERIVATIVES: cog·nate·ly adv.cog·nate·ness n.

COGNATE. Related by descent; one of two or more words so related, especially across languages. English mother, German Mutter are cognate words; English five, Latin quinque, Greek pénte are all cognates, descended from the common Indo-European ancestor *penkwe. Cognates are more or less like each other in form, but need not have much in common semantically: English silly, German selig holy, blessed. On the other hand, English ma, Chinese mu (mother) are known to be cognates; though similar in form and meaning, they cannot (at present at least) be traced to a common source. German Standpunkt and its English CALQUE standpoint are not usually called cognates, even when their elements are cognates: Stand and stand, Punkt and point. Pairs of cognates in a single language, such as English regal and royal (both ultimately from Latin) are called DOUBLETS. Cognates are easy to find in related (or cognate) languages such as English, German, Greek, and Latin, but unrelated languages may also have cognate items: the common ancestor of English tea, Malay teh appears to be t'e, from the Amoy dialect of Chinese. See LOAN.

cognate akin, descended from a common ancestor; also sb. XVII. — L. cognātus, f. CO- + -gnātus born, f. IE. *gn- *gen- produce; see KIN, ATE 3.

cognate, cognatic Having a common ancestor who can be traced back bilaterally through either the male or female line; that is, descent is not unilineal. See also DESCENT GROUPS.