 |
 |
Spanish Word of the Day
| April 5th, 2014 at 4:55:07 PM permalink | |
| Wizard Administrator Member since: Oct 23, 2012 Threads: 239 Posts: 6095 |
I knew we had some involvement. In fact, on the taxi ride from the airport to my hotel in Santo Domingo we passed a naval base and I asked the driver when was the last time the DR was in a war. He gave a very long answer. It seemed like a brief summary of the whole military history of the country, which included a part against the United States. My Spanish wasn't good enough to capture the details. Any similarities to Puerto Rico? Speaking of PR, one of my other many unanswered questions in my head is just how to define what PR is. Is it a part of the US or not? Is it a country within a country, kind of like Scotland and Wales? To help answer this question, I asked in the duty free store in Miami, "If I'm going to Puerto Rico, may I buy something here?" The salesman said, "I'm sorry, but no. However, you can on your way back." I asked why but he didn't know the answer. Knowledge is Good -- Emil Faber |
| April 5th, 2014 at 8:00:16 PM permalink | |
| Nareed Member since: Oct 24, 2012 Threads: 346 Posts: 12545 | The island of Hispaniola was one of the first places in the Americas explored by Europeans. Has anything of note happened in the Dominican Republic since then? Donald Trump is a one-term LOSER |
| April 5th, 2014 at 8:19:10 PM permalink | |
| Wizard Administrator Member since: Oct 23, 2012 Threads: 239 Posts: 6095 |
They've produced lots of good baseball players. And coffee. Knowledge is Good -- Emil Faber |
| April 6th, 2014 at 12:54:28 AM permalink | |
| Pacomartin Member since: Oct 24, 2012 Threads: 1068 Posts: 12569 |
Foundation of the Capital Cities 1325 Tenochtitlan México (D.F.) 1498 Santo Domingo Dominican Republic 1515 Havana Cuba 1519 Panama City Panamá 1521 San Juan Puerto Rico 1525 San Salvador El Salvador 1535 Lima Peru 1538 Bogotá Colombia 1538 Sucre Bolivia 1541 Santiago Chile 1565 Rio de Janeiro Brazil 1565 Saint Augustine Florida 1567 Caracas Venezuela 1580 Buenos Aires Argentina 1607 Jamestown Virginia 1620 Plymouth Massachusetts 1638 Belize City Belize TRIVIA: Hispaniola is one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries. What is the other one? |
| April 6th, 2014 at 5:57:13 AM permalink | |
| Wizard Administrator Member since: Oct 23, 2012 Threads: 239 Posts: 6095 |
Saint Martin/Martinique. I think it also has the distinction of the smallest island shared by two countries.  In the coffee thread Paco posted the above picture. What does the expression on the counter mean? I take it to means something like "I'm going to remove the dream from you." That's depressing. Like telling a little kid there is no Papa Noel. Knowledge is Good -- Emil Faber |
| April 6th, 2014 at 6:32:35 AM permalink | |
| Nareed Member since: Oct 24, 2012 Threads: 346 Posts: 12545 |
"I'm going to wake you up." Donald Trump is a one-term LOSER |
| April 6th, 2014 at 6:57:49 AM permalink | |
| theodores Member since: Oct 28, 2012 Threads: 2 Posts: 85 |
My answer: Saint Martin/Sint Maarten (France/Netherlands) |
| April 6th, 2014 at 6:59:33 AM permalink | |
| Wizard Administrator Member since: Oct 23, 2012 Threads: 239 Posts: 6095 |
Given that it is at a coffee place, maybe I should have thought of that. In English, the word "dream" is often used to mean a lofty ambition, as in the "I have a dream" speech. In retrospect, I was too focused on that usage. Knowledge is Good -- Emil Faber |
| April 6th, 2014 at 7:11:13 AM permalink | |
| Wizard Administrator Member since: Oct 23, 2012 Threads: 239 Posts: 6095 | Fecha: 6-4-13 Palabra: Mestiza According to SpanishDict.com, today's SWD means of mixed race. However, in the context I found the word, it referred to a mixed drink. So, I'm not sure what to make of it. The assignment for the advanced readers is to compare and contrast mestiza y mezclada. Ejemplo time. Tiger Woods es de raza mestiza. = Tiger Woods is of mixed race. Knowledge is Good -- Emil Faber |
| April 6th, 2014 at 9:16:00 AM permalink | |
| Pacomartin Member since: Oct 24, 2012 Threads: 1068 Posts: 12569 |
All Romance languages use the same word for dream and sleep. Old English did the same, but in the middle ages the two concepts diverged. Interestingly enough "to sleep with" in Old English also meant "to have sex with" just as it does in modern English. As far as I know, there is no similar correlation in Romance languages. |