Spanish Word of the Day

Quote: Nareed

Lastly, it should be "...ES más taimado..."

Are you more or less likely to say "...ES más astuto..."?

Quote: Pacomartin

Are you more or less likely to say "...ES más astuto..."?

Yes :)

Perhaps it takes mora than mere fluency to get such things. perhaps one needs to have used the language constantly for years. But saying "ESTÁ más astuto" is about the same as saying "She's BEING taller" rather than "she IS taller."

Quote: Nareed

Yes :)

I don't think I made my question clear. I was curious if the adjective "astuto" or "taimado" was more common, or are they both used equally (or for different situations).

In English scholars have noticed that people tend to pair certain words without any particularly sound reason.

While eccentric, idiosyncratic, & quirky are all synonyms, English speakers tend to pair them with specific nouns. An uncle is often described as "eccentric" while a cousin is more likely to be "quirky". If you are very proud of yourself, you tend to call yourself "idiosyncratic".

Quote: Pacomartin

I don't think I made my question clear. I was curious if the adjective "astuto" or "taimado" was more common, or are they both used equally (or for different situations).

Oh, "taimado" is a $10 word. I dare say most poeple won't instantly know it, and a big portion won't know what it means.

Which are the two least understood Spanish phrases in Mexico?

Hint: they're very similar.

You need only guess one.

Quote: Nareed

Which are the two least understood Spanish phrases in Mexico?

No clue.

Fecha: 24-1-13
Palabra: Desmentir

Today's SWD means to deny/refute.

The question for the advanced readers is whether desmentir can be used to refute (incorrectly) a truthful statement.

Ejemplo time.

El Capitan desmentió la historia de Gilligan. = The Skipper refuted Gilligan's story.

Quote: Wizard

No clue.

I believe I mentioned one before...

Quote:

El Capitan desmentió la historia de Gilligan. = The Skipper refuted Gilligan's story.

I'm not sure about the usage of this word. It's not very common outside news stories. But it should be "desmIntió" in your example.

Quote: Nareed

. But it should be "desmIntió" in your example.

Wikipedia lists 38 examples of "Spanish verbs ending in -ir (conjugation e-ie-i)"

adherir
advertir
arrepentir
asentir
conferir
consentir
controvertir
convertir
convertirse
desmentir
diferir
digerir
disentir
divertir
divertirse
herir
hervir
inferir
ingerir
interferir
invertir
malherir
mentir
pervertir
preferir
presentir
proferir
reconvertir
referir
referirse
requerir
revertir
sentir
sentirse
sugerir
transferir
trasferir
zaherir

In this rule "mentir" (for example) conjugates to
miento,mientes,miente in indicative singular and
mintió & mintieron in indicative 3rd person preterite
Also most of the time it becomes min... in subjunctive mood.

The spelling change reflects the stress on the penultimate vowel.

Quote: Nareed

I'm not sure about the usage of this word. It's not very common outside news stories.

In English the dis- prefix normally reverses the meaning of a word. So to dishonor someone is to do the reverse of "honor" someone. In Spanish the des- prefix does much the same thing. So if vergüenza is "shameful", then desvergüenza is "shameless".

desabejar	desatar	desconcertar	desequilibrar
desabrochar	desautorizar	desconectar	desestabilizar
desacatar	desayunar	desconfiar	desgastar
desaconsejar	desbarajustar	desconocer	deshacer
desacoplar	desbaratar	desconsolar	deshecho
desacreditar	desbordar	descontrol	deshinchar
desactivar	descabezar	descuidar	deshumanizar
desafiar	descachar	desdicha	desinsectar
desagradar	descalificar	desecho	desmarcar
desahogar	descansar	desembarcar	desnivel
desalentarse	descartar	desembocar	desnucar
desalojar	descentralizar	desempeñar	desorganizar
desanimar	descifrar	desencabestrar	despampanar
desaparecer	desclasificar	desencadenar	desposeer
desapasionadamente	descolgar	desencallar	despreciar
desarmar	descollar	desengaño	destrabar
desarrollar	descomedir	desenmascarar	destripar
desarropar	descomponer	desenojar	desvarío
			desvergüenza
			desvirgar

In English if a word has a negative association, like embowel=>"to remove the bowels", then the function of the prefix "dis-" can change to an intensifier, where disembowel means to "embowel with particular savagery".

The word desmentir is defined in Wiktionary as:
(1) to refute.
(2) to belie; to give a false representation

The word belie is defined in English as
1. (of an appearance) fail to give a true notion or impression of (something); disguise or contradict.
2. fail to fulfill or justify (a claim or expectation); betray.

Certainly from the second definition it sounds as if the "des-" prefix is functioning this time in Spanish as an intensifier, since mentir also means "to lie".

I may be missing some subtly here that a native speaker can clarify. Does "desmentir" and "mentir" seem like opposites to a native speaker?

I discussed a similar point last month where the prefix de- in English which normally means the opposite, can also be used as an intensifier.

Quote: Pacomartin

The word privus is Latin for "one's own, individual"
The word privare is Latin for "to separate, deprive,"
In this case the prefix "de-" means "entirely" in English

Of all descendants in different languages, English is the only one to use the "de-" prefix
English: deprive
French: priver
Italian: privare
Occitan: privar
Portuguese: privar
Spanish: privar
Catalan: privar

The "intensifier" use of the prefix "de-" is relatively rare in English. Another example is devote. and denumerate
More common uses of the prefix are
1. removal of or from something specified: deforest ; dethrone
2. reversal of something: decode ; decompose ; desegregate
3. departure from: decamp

Quote: Pacomartin

I may be missing some subtly here that a native speaker can clarify. Does "desmentir" and "mentir" seem like opposites to a native speaker?

No more than play and display seem like opposites to native English speakers.