Spanish Word of the Day

Quote: Nareed

So here's one to drive you to the depths of inasnity: you park on a driveway and drive on a parkway.

One isn't supposed to park in the driveway, but in the garage. I get annoyed when my wife parks in the driveway, because she is supposedly going to just jaunt into the house and then leave again. However, I seem to always need to get into or out of the garage at these times and she is blocking the way. I don't see why she can't park on the street for these short-term visits.

Regarding the parkway, maybe it is called that because it is the way to get to the park.

Quote: Wizard

I get annoyed when my wife parks in the driveway,

That's completely pointless and self-destructive. You know she'll keep parking there (you are married, right?), so there's no used being annoyed. All you accomplish is to accumulate some impotent rage. Life's too short to waste on that.

Why don't you take the car out and park it on the street instead. That way your wife won't block your way. Yes, it's unnecessary and massively unfair, but you are married, right? Besides, if you ask her she will bring up something you did (I would), and where does that leave you?

Quote: Nareed

And yet you're also a person who uses language. So here's one to drive you to the depths of inasnity: you park on a driveway and drive on a parkway.

The Medieval Latin word "parricus" "enclosure, park" (from 700's), which likely is the direct source of the Old French word "parc" and Spanish parque, etc. As is usual the French word was the source of the English word "park" in the 1200's. In 1680's it came to be associated with enclosing military vehicles, and in 1844 it was associated with putting a carriage in a certain place.

The word "drive" is from Old English. Any verb that changes the vowel to indicate past tense "drove" is always from Old English. In the original sense it meant to "push from behind" and included driving animals or pursuing an enemy. It was adopted to the act of operating a motor vehicle.

The word "driveway" is from 1884, and meant a private road. It later was adopted to refer to the short space in front of the garage.

So we "park" a car from the 19th century meaning of the word, and we drive in a "parkway" from the much older meaning of the word.

As a man with a failed marriage and other relationships, I cannot give marital advice. I know "happy wife, happy life", but that is little more than a bromide.

Quote: Nareed

That's completely pointless and self-destructive.

I hope you will share the secret of how to let go of such anger in the Pet Peeves thread.

Quote: Wizard

I hope you will share the secret of how to let go of such anger in the Pet Peeves thread.

If it was a secret, I'd write "the book" on it and grow rich selling it. Or, better yet, market it online as "...with one simple trick!"

But there's no secret. Simply avoid the circumstances that lead to the annoyance, or learn not to let it bother you.

Quote: Wizard

Sr. Howell perdió su pelota de golf en la ciénaga. = Mr. Howell lost his golf ball in the swamp.

I missed this one. It's "EL Sr. Howell...."

Yes, that means, iterally, "THE Mr. Howell...." but that's how the language is used. If you wanted to refer to an unidentified man, or for some other reason not specifically ifentify him, then it would be "EL señor...." and that has no direct literal translation to enlish. You don't say "The mister lost his golf ball..." but rather "the man lost...." or "the gentleman lost...." And all this applies to women as well.

I can't confirm this, but I've heard that in some Slavic languages when referring to one's self as part of a group, one uses the pronoun "we." Example, for saying "The Wife and I went out," the usage would be "The wife and WE went out;" or even "My friends and WE are going to Vegas." That's really odd.

Quote: Nareed

I can't confirm this, but I've heard that in some Slavic languages when referring to one's self as part of a group, one uses the pronoun "we." Example, for saying "The Wife and I went out," the usage would be "The wife and WE went out;" or even "My friends and WE are going to Vegas." That's really odd.

I have heard that as well, as I had a friend who was fluent in Russian. In english you would say "I went home with Rebecca" where in Russian you would say "We went home with Rebecca". The plural refers to both the speaker and Rebecca.

Pronouns can be very complicated when you get out of your own language group. I studied Ancient Greek, and I was surprised to find a dual pronoun that you was between singular and plural.

Fecha: 11-1-13
Palabra: madriguera

Today's SWD means a den/burrow.

The assignment for the advanced readers is to compare and contrast madriguera y madrugar, which was a recent SWD.

Ejemplo time.

Los perros de las praderas se madrugan para escavar tus madrigueras = Prairie dogs get up early to dig their burrows.

The word madriguera seems unrelated to the word madrugar. It is however a cognate of "matrix".

Quote: Wizard

Los perros de las praderas se madrugan para escavar tus madrigueras = Prairie dogs get up early to dig their burrows.

The "se" is superfluous and makes no sense. In the second you state they dig your burrows, not their burrows.