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Pertain vs Germane - What's the difference?

pertain | germane |

As a verb pertain

is to belong.

As an adjective germane is

related to the topic being discussed or considered.

As a noun germane is

germanium tetrahydride, GeH4

pertain

English

Verb

(en verb)
  • to belong
  • to relate, to refer, be relevant to

    • Usage notes

    * In all the above senses, pertain' is followed by '''to''' (or formerly by '''unto''', as in ''The King James Version of The Bible'' and in the plays of Shakespeare, although ' to is used in these works as well).

    Quotations

    (relate ): * 1989 , Sort out any booklets or manuals that pertain to the heating system or any other fixture that you are leaving behind. — One's company , Underwood, Lynn, Southampton: Ashford.

    Synonyms

    * appertain

    Antonyms

    * be irrelevant

    Anagrams

    * * *

    germane

    English

    (wikipedia germane)

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • Related to the topic being discussed or considered.
  • * {{quote-news
    • , year=2012 , date=August 5 , author=Nathan Rabin , title=TV: Review: THE SIMPSONS (CLASSIC): “I Love Lisa” (season 4, episode 15; originally aired 02/11/1993) citation , page= , passage=Valentine’s Day means different things for different people. For Homer, it means forking over a hundred dollars for a dusty box of chocolates at the Kwik-E-Mart after characteristically forgetting the holiday yet again. For Ned, it’s another opportunity to prove his love for his wife. Most germane to the episode, for Lisa, Valentine’s Day means being the only person in her entire class to give Ralph a Valentine after noticing him looking crestfallen and alone at his desk.}}
  • * 1924 , . Translated by W. D. Ross. Nashotah, Wisconsin, USA: The Classical Library, 2001, Book 1, Part 5.
    • Yet this much is germane to the present inquiry:

    Related terms

    * germanely * germaneness

    Synonyms

    * pertinent, relevant, on-topic, apt

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (inorganic chemistry) germanium tetrahydride, GeH4
  • (organic chemistry, especially in combination) Any organic derivative of this compound.

    • Synonyms

    * germanium tetrahydride * germanomethane * monogermane