foment — a verb meaning “to incite” or rouse or encourage or instigate
fomentar — the Spanish cognate of the same meanings.
“Foment” is a verb that nowadays usually carries a negative “fiery” connotation but it had a “warm” beginning. We tend to hear it now in media reports about people “fomenting rebellions” or other criminally charged events, but “foment” comes to us from Latin’s fovēre which means “to soothe” and “to heat.”
We originally used the word “foment” to tell someone to “foment” a sore muscle by applying moist “heat” to it. If you metaphorically apply heat to someone, you stir that person to action, so over time, the word’s denotation (dictionary meaning) as well as its connotation (the sentiments we apply to it) changed. Now, if we “foment” someone or someone’s actions, we are “inciting” that person or thing to do something and usually that something is something bad.
That something can be a good thing, though, of course. I hope that I am “fomenting” your desire to keep expanding your lexicon with these “Cognate Cognizance” posts.
If you’re a person who encourages or instigates things, you might be called a “fomenter.” I’m okay with being called a “fomenter” of language growth. In Spanish, I’d be a “fomentadora” since I’m a female. A male would be a “fomentador.”
If you apply those moist, hot compresses to soothe something, or if you instigate something to happen, you are practicing the act of “fomentation.” This can also simply be called a “foment” in English, so it is “un fomento” in Spanish.
If you “foment” something, you kindle it into action. So, there are “fomites” which are inanimate objects (like doorknobs) which can carry bacteria that can then be transferred to another person and kindle an illness in that person. “Fomite” comes from the same Latin verb as “foment.” In Spanish, the word is “fómite.”
If I have been “fomenting” your love of words, then consider upgrading to Paid now because after the 15th (which marks 2 full years of me writing these posts), I’m only sending the weekly posts to paying subscribers. Free subscribers will get a monthly post.
I’m going to offer my birthday discount once more, so if you care to subscribe for a full year, it’s 20% off. That means you get 52 posts for less than a dollar a post.
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