# Words that are almost the same but not quite

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-are-almost-the-same-but-not-quite/721620>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [June 4, 2015, 12:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-are-almost-the-same-but-not-quite/721620 "2015-06-04T12:41:32Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![pianodave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e79b87/32.png) [@pianodave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pianodave)\
**Post date:** [June 4, 2015, 12:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-are-almost-the-same-but-not-quite/721620/1 "2015-06-04T12:41:32Z")

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Hi SD,

Is there a name for words like these? They have evolved to have entirely different meanings from what would appear at first glance to be the same Latin root.

Contingent vs. Contingency (group or detachment vs. something that might possibly happen)

Apprehend vs Apprehensive (to capture vs afraid that something bad will happen)

Comprehend vs Comprehensive (understand vs complete and all-encompassing)

I find these words interesting because they sound like they should share a meaning.

What about these words caused them to develop these different definitions, as time went on? Is there some special quality? In these specific words, which meaning came first and how did it evolve? Are there any others you can think of?

Thanks,

Dave

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**Author:** ![naita](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/naita/32/5862_2.png) [@naita](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/naita)\
**Post date:** [June 4, 2015, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-are-almost-the-same-but-not-quite/721620/2 "2015-06-04T13:53:35Z")

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They’re just words and they’ve devoloped as words do. Why they’ve developed the way the have is indeed interesting, but it differs from word to word.

For contingent for instance you can look them up in the dictionary [m-w.com](http://m-w.com) and find for the first pair:

> [@](#):
>
> [sup]1[/sup] **contingent**  
> adjective con·tin·gent \kən-ˈtin-jənt\
> 
> : depending on something else that might or might not happen
> 
> Origin of CONTINGENT  
> Middle English, from Middle French, from Latin contingent-, contingens, present participle of contingere to have contact with, befall, from com- + tangere to touch — more at tangent  
> First Known Use: 14th century

> [@](#):
>
> [sup]2[/sup] **contingent**  
> noun con·tin·gent \kən-ˈtin-jənt\
> 
> : a group of people who go to a place together, do something together, or share some quality, interest, etc.
> 
> : a group of soldiers who come from a particular army and are working together with soldiers from other armies  
> Origin of CONTINGENT  
> (see [sup]1[/sup]contingent)  
> First Known Use: 1548

> [@](#):
>
> **contingency**  
> noun con·tin·gen·cy \kən-ˈtin-jən(t)-sē\
> 
> : something (such as an emergency) that might happen
> 
> Full Definition of CONTINGENCY  
> 1  
> : the quality or state of being contingent  
> 2  
> : a contingent event or condition: as  
> a : an event (as an emergency) that may but is not certain to occur \<trying to provide for every contingency\>  
> b : something liable to happen as an adjunct to or result of something else  
> Origin of CONTINGENCY  
> (see [sup]1[/sup]contingent)  
> First Known Use: 1561

Now as for why contingent came to be used for a group you’ll need to do further research.

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**Author:** ![Schnitte](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/schnitte/32/9033_2.png) [@Schnitte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Schnitte)\
**Post date:** [June 5, 2015, 7:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-are-almost-the-same-but-not-quite/721620/3 "2015-06-05T07:54:51Z")

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I’d like to add that in all these cases, the two words do not only appear to be the same Latin root, but in fact are. Which does, of course, not mean that the words, in spite of having the same root, can’t evolve and take on new meanings. In many cases, this has to do with metaphorical usage. For instance, the Latin root of “comprehend” and “comprehensive” originally means “to grip” or “to clasp”, and a metaphorical use of this is the basis for the meaning “to understand”, whereas the literal meaning is the basis of “to encompass”.