ABSTRACT
Faux amis is a term used by the French to describe words which are the same, or very alike, in two languages, but whose meanings are different. For example:
French word histoire libraire chef agrement docteur medecin parent
Meaning in English story, not history bookshop, not library head of any organisation, not only chief cook pleasure or amusement, not agreement doctor (higher degree) not medical practitioner medical practitioner, not medicine relations in general, including parents
One gets faux am is between English as spoken in different parts of the world. An Englishman asking in America for a biscuit would be given what we call a scone. To get what we call a biscuit, he would have to ask for a cookie. And between English as used in mathematics and in everyday life there are such words as field, group, ring, ideal.
