Spanish word : pretender
English word : pretend
Meanings: Pretender and "pretend" are examples of false friends, the name given to words in two languages that are alike but have different meanings. Although in some unusual circumstances one word can be translated as the other, pretender does not mean "to fake" or "to simulate." It generally means "to try," "to want to" or "to aspire" as in "Pretendió cambiar 5 mil pesos falsos por dólares," he tried (or hoped) to exchange 5,000 counterfeit pesos for dollars.
Other meanings: The English word "pretend" can be used as an adjective, as in "pretend money," meaning "fake money" or "play money." In Spanish, pretender can also mean "to court" or "to woo" as in "Ricardo pretendió a la hija del rey," Ricardo courted the king's daughter.
Etymology: The brief history of these two words shows how shifts in meaning can make the same word mean vastly different things in two languages.
As is the case with most words that Spanish and English share, pretender and "pretend" come from Latin. The Latin word was praetendere, from the prefix prae- (before) and the verb tender (to stretch). So the image of the Latin verb was of a person stretching forward to do something or to aspire to something. That is still roughly the meaning in Spanish. The meaning shifted slightly in French to mean "to claim." Thus the historic English phrase "pretenders to the throne" refers to those who claimed the throne. (That same phrase exists in Spanish as pretendientes al trono, making the rare case where pretendiente can mean "pretender.")
Eventually, the English meaning changed to refer to laying a false claim. One common meaning, referring to the making of false claim at play (such as in playing make-believe) is fairly recent in English, having been a part of language since only the latter part of the 19th century.
As is the case with most words that Spanish and English share, pretender and "pretend" come from Latin. The Latin word was praetendere, from the prefix prae- (before) and the verb tender (to stretch). So the image of the Latin verb was of a person stretching forward to do something or to aspire to something. That is still roughly the meaning in Spanish. The meaning shifted slightly in French to mean "to claim." Thus the historic English phrase "pretenders to the throne" refers to those who claimed the throne. (That same phrase exists in Spanish as pretendientes al trono, making the rare case where pretendiente can mean "pretender.")
Eventually, the English meaning changed to refer to laying a false claim. One common meaning, referring to the making of false claim at play (such as in playing make-believe) is fairly recent in English, having been a part of language since only the latter part of the 19th century.
