Spanish Word of the Day

Quote: Wizard

I was tempted to answer New York, but didn't because they call them boroughs instead of counties. However, I didn't know what county they were in.

So, this leads to my question of why they use the term borough anyway, when it seems they are divided along the same lines as the counties. Except, that Kings County looks to be what I would consider to be the borough of Queens.

Also, are all five borough technically part of NYC? I thought only Manhattan was, and the others were just riding its coattails. Like someone in Compton would probably just say they are from Los Angeles to anyone outside of the LA area. Even the Las Vegas Strip is not technically in the city of Las Vegas, but who has heard of "Paradise, Nevada"?

Borough Name- County Name
Queens-Queens
Bronx-Bronx
Brooklyn-Kings
Staten Island-Richmond
Manhattan-New York

Yes, they are formally part of New York City, It is not the same as Compton and Los Angeles. The consolidated city of the five boroughs was formed in 1898 (15 years after Brooklyn Bridge opened). Prior to that the Brooklyn was a seperate city. The other three boroughs were sparsely populated and I don't think had city designation. Motorized ferry between Manhattan and Staten Island had been operating since 1812.

Use of the term "borough" throughout the USA Outside of NYC I have always thought of the word as a synonym for "town".

Urban New York is considered the 5 boroughs/counties of the city and Hudson County NJ. Hudson county is geographically more a part of New York City than Staten Island. It's one of the oddities of history that Staten Island did not become part of NJ. Above New York proper, and Urban New York, there is New York Primary Metropolitan statistical area, and New York Combined Metropolitan Statistical Area which includes parts of 5 states.

Quote: Pacomartin

Yes, they are formally part of New York City,

Okay, then why is there a sign that claims Brooklyn is the fourth largest city in America in the opening to Welcome Back Kotter? It is right at the beginning.

Quote: Wizard

Okay, then why is there a sign that claims Brooklyn is the fourth largest city in America in the opening to Welcome Back Kotter? It is right at the beginning.

Brooklyn's rank as largest cities in the USA was
7th in 1840-1850
3rd in 1860-1880
4th in 1890 (last year it was an independent city) (as Chicago grew up)

Had it remained independent it would have ranked
4th 1900
3rd 1910-1960 (Brooklyn is more populous than Philadelphia)
4th 1970-2010 (as Los Angeles acquired land and people)

As Brooklyn is only 7% smaller than Chicago, and Chicago keeps losing population, it's psychological rank may even return to 3rd.

But it is local boosterism. It's like California saying it is one of the top 10 economies of the world. In reality California's economy is tied to the United States, but it has a $2 trillion GDP which is larger than all but the largest countries in Europe.

It still bothers me that Brooklyn is claiming to be a city if they were merged into New York in 1890.

Fecha: 20-11-13
Palabra: Ordeñar

Today's SWD means to milk.

The assignment for the advanced readers is to confirm or deny a common etymology with the word deñar, which means to deem worthy.

Ejemplo time.

Debo ordeñar las vacas en la manaña. = I have to milk the cows in the morning.

Quote: Wizard

It still bothers me that Brooklyn is claiming to be a city if they were merged into New York in 1890.

Does it bother you that many people who say they've been to Las vegas never set foot in the city of Las Vegas?

But I kind of get it. it bothers me when Microsoft claims Windows 8(.1) is an OS for desktop PCs.

Quote: Nareed

Does it bother you that many people who say they've been to Las vegas never set foot in the city of Las Vegas?

No. In many ways Paradise is still managed by the same government agencies that manage what is properly within Las Vegas city limits. Brooklyn is the opposite situation of denying being in the city they truly belong to. As far as I'm concerned, Brooklyn is just a neighborhood.

Quote: Wizard

The assignment for the advanced readers is to confirm or deny a common etymology with the word deñar, which means to deem worthy.

The word is not a cognate of deñar, but it is related to the English verb "to ordain". I have no idea how two verbs from the same Latin ancestor could end up with such vastly different words.


ordenar = to arrange
ordeñar (Del lat. *ordiniāre, de ordināre).
1. tr. Extraer la leche exprimiendo la ubre.
2. tr. Coger la aceituna, llevando la mano rodeada al ramo para que este las vaya soltando.
3. tr. coloq. Obtener el máximo provecho posible de algo o alguien.

Quote: Wizard

It still bothers me that Brooklyn is claiming to be a city if they were merged into New York in 1890.

The Village of Breuckelen was authorized by the Dutch West India Company in 1646; it became the first municipality in what is now New York State. So it had a 250 year history as a city before it became a part of NYC. So Brooklyn is only 20 years younger than Manhattan, which was acquired in 1626 in exchange for trade goods worth 60 guilders (which is worth a little more than $24).

Quote: Pacomartin

So Brooklyn is only 20 years younger than Manhattan, which was acquired in 1626 in exchange for trade goods worth 60 guilders (which is worth a little more than $24).

It is my understanding that the Indians who made this so-called sale weren't even from Manhattan. Even if they were, at that time Indians didn't subscribe to the notion of owning property. They probably thought as I would feel if you paid me to buy the moon. It isn't mine to sell, so you would have no legitimate claim to it. Meanwhile I would be laughing at what a fool you were.

There is some discussion of this at The Straight Dope.

The Great Mahele ("to divide or portion") was the Hawaiian land redistribution act proposed by King Kamehameha III in the 1830s and enacted in 1848.

After 60 years of interaction with Europeans the native population of Hawaii had been reduced by 5/6. The natives who had no tradition of owning land were raped by these land sales until the sugar plantations owned almost the entire island.

Quote: Pacomartin

The Great Mahele ("to divide or portion") was the Hawaiian land redistribution act proposed by King Kamehameha III in the 1830s and enacted in 1848.

After 60 years of interaction with Europeans the native population of Hawaii had been reduced by 5/6. The natives who had no tradition of owning land were raped by these land sales until the sugar plantations owned almost the entire island.

I don't dispute that. However, it doesn't refute my point that the Manhattan purchase was illegitimate. The Indians who "sold" it were just passing through Manhattan. Even if they were from there, they didn't have authority to sell it.

You're a great resource to both my forums, but in this case I think you're perpetuating an urban legend.