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Spanish Word of the Day

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December 26th, 2016 at 6:09:11 PM permalink

Wizard

Administrator
Member since: Oct 23, 2012
Threads: 239
Posts: 6095

Quote: Nareed
My advice is not to obsess over trivial matters. Some animals go by different names for reasons trivial and obscure. and this is true in many languages.

Consider in English you don't eat cow or pig, but beef(*) or pork.

Or consider this:

Son: Dad, what do you call a male horse?
Dad: A colt
Son: And a female horse?
Dad: A mare
Son: And a baby horse?
Dad: A foal.
Son: And what horse is called "horse"?

(*) The explanation for this is that higher-class English people adopted the French terms for various meats after 1066, while keeping the English names for the animals. The rule of thumb is English for the beast and French for the feast.

This does have a few interesting consequences. For instance, the English "beefsteak" is "bifteck" in French and "bistec" in Spanish. No clue which came first and which language(s) adopted it. In any case, the cut of meat called "bistec" in Mexico is a thin slice of beef, like a milanesa.

In the defense of the English language, a "horse" is a colt/mare/foal, but its not specified which one. At least there is a general term. I think Spanish should have a general term for just any owl.

I don't see a problem with differentiating between "cow" and "beef." In the same way, you would order pescado in a restaurant, but a pez is the fish itself, while still living.

Knowledge is Good -- Emil Faber

December 26th, 2016 at 8:00:58 PM permalink

Pacomartin

Member since: Oct 24, 2012
Threads: 1068
Posts: 12569

Quote: Wizard
At least there is a general term. I think Spanish should have a general term for just any owl.

I thought that "búho" (Latin origin) is the general term. Am I confused?

The word "lechuza" also comes from Latin, but lechuza apparently resulted from a cross between Old Spanish *nochuza and leche, due to the popular belief at the time that owls came at night to give babies milk.

Tecolote is from an Aztec word, so we wouldn't expect it to be in all forms of Spanish,

"Strigiformes" is the taxonomic form that includes all types of owls.

December 26th, 2016 at 8:16:25 PM permalink
Wizard Administrator Member since: Oct 23, 2012 Threads: 239 Posts: 6095	Quote: Pacomartin I thought that "búho" (Latin origin) is the general term. Am I confused? One of us is, and probably me, but I think buho is only for owls that have what looks like horns or ears. Knowledge is Good -- Emil Faber

December 26th, 2016 at 8:27:25 PM permalink

Pacomartin

Member since: Oct 24, 2012
Threads: 1068
Posts: 12569

Quote: Wizard
One of us is, and probably me, but I think buho is only for owls that have what looks like horns or ears.

I am getting lazy. I should have looked it up in the DRAE before commenting. But it does say "ears" in the definition.

búho : Del lat. vulg. bufo, y este del lat. bubo, -ōnis.
m. Ave rapaz nocturna, indígena de España, de unos 40 cm de altura, de color mezclado de rojo y negro, calzada de plumas, con el pico corvo, los ojos grandes y colocados en la parte anterior de la cabeza, sobre la cual tiene unas plumas alzadas que parecen orejas.

December 27th, 2016 at 6:44:35 AM permalink

Nareed

Member since: Oct 24, 2012
Threads: 346
Posts: 12545

Quote: Wizard
I don't see a problem with differentiating between "cow" and "beef."

Because you've been doing it all your life.

Quote:
In the same way, you would order pescado in a restaurant,

You can bet your life's savings, all of Earths' money ten times over, and the GDP of the entire universe that I'd never do such a thing.

Quote:
but a pez is the fish itself, while still living.

That distinction was never very useful to begin with and has lost in usage over the years.

Donald Trump is a one-term LOSER

December 28th, 2016 at 8:36:22 PM permalink
Wizard Administrator Member since: Oct 23, 2012 Threads: 239 Posts: 6095	Quote: Nareed You can bet your life's savings, all of Earths' money ten times over, and the GDP of the entire universe that I'd never do such a thing. Why not? I've ordered tacos de pescado in Ensenada and Tijuana lots of times and always seemed to be understood. On another topic, what would you call a pie chart in Mexico? Knowledge is Good -- Emil Faber

December 29th, 2016 at 3:48:57 AM permalink

Pacomartin

Member since: Oct 24, 2012
Threads: 1068
Posts: 12569

Quote: Nareed
Consider in English you don't eat cow or pig, but beef(*) or pork.

Spanish primarily comes from one language, Latin! It has loan words from native languages in Latin America, and many from Arabic, and a few from Italian, German, and other European languages, but as a percentage their contribution is relatively small.

English retains it's structure from the Germanic language "Old English" but that had possibly 25,000 vocabulary words. The bulk of the vocabulary in English comes from Old French.

So "cow and pig" are from Old English, and "beef and pork" are from Old French.

"Horse, colt, mare and foal" are all from Old English.

December 29th, 2016 at 6:39:56 AM permalink
Nareed Member since: Oct 24, 2012 Threads: 346 Posts: 12545	Quote: Wizard Why not? You seem not to have noticed the I. Quote: On another topic, what would you call a pie chart in Mexico? No clue. Donald Trump is a one-term LOSER

December 29th, 2016 at 6:43:56 AM permalink
Nareed Member since: Oct 24, 2012 Threads: 346 Posts: 12545	Quote: Pacomartin So "cow and pig" are from Old English, and "beef and pork" are from Old French. I do wonder why there isn't a French substitute for "chicken." Fowl seems to include all edible birds (meaning chicken and turkey these days). Donald Trump is a one-term LOSER

December 29th, 2016 at 8:36:03 AM permalink
Wizard Administrator Member since: Oct 23, 2012 Threads: 239 Posts: 6095	Quote: Nareed No clue. I'll have to use Google Translate then, which says Gráfico circular. Knowledge is Good -- Emil Faber

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