Spanish Word of the Day

Quote: Wizard

Why the accent?

Spell-checker

Quote:

Also, are you supposed to put an accents on these words: quién, más, y dónde?

I seriously no longer pay any attention to that. The IT guy set up Word so it fills in missing accents 90% of the time on its own.

quién (interrogative, plural quiénes) who?, whom?; (with “de”) whose?
quien (relative pronoun, plural quienes) who; whom; whoever; whomever; anyone; some people

Fecha: 2-1-14
Palabra: Noche de San Juan

The book I'm reading mentioned Midsummer's Eve in the original English. In Spanish it was translated to Noche de San Juan. This is the first I've ever heard of it. As near as I can tell from a quick search, it has pagan origins and celebrated on the summer solstice by lighting bonfires.

The assignment for the students of Spanish culture and history is to elaborate on it.

Ejemplo time.

Ginger está planeado una fiesta para el noche de San Juan. = Ginger is planning a party for Midsummer's Eve.

Quote: Wizard

The assignment for the students of Spanish culture and history is to elaborate on it.

It isn't really Spanish culture, more Christian culture. The town of Midsomer, England has St. John as it's patron saint , the town is neither Spanish nor Catholic. Denmark calls it sankthansaften ("St. John's Eve").



The Gospel of Luke (Luke 1:36, 56–57) states that John was born about six months before Jesus. So if Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus at the Winter solstice, Christians celebrate the birth of John at the summer solstice.

The pagan origins of the Night of St John, are no more pagan than the festivities used to celebrate the birth of Jesus at the Winter solstice. Fire is the fundamental element of the celebration, with many people jumping over bonfires,

Modest Mussorgsky's composition Night on Bald Mountain was originally titled St. John’s Night on the Bare Mountain. Disney's animation from Fantasia is locked down tightly, but this video has still shots

Quote: Wizard

As near as I can tell from a quick search, it has pagan origins and celebrated on the summer solstice by lighting bonfires.

There are no Christian holidays of Christian origin. They are all adapted either from Judaism. like Easter, or from assorted "pagan" cultures, liek just about everything else.

Quote:

Ginger está planeado una fiesta para el noche de San Juan. = Ginger is planning a party for Midsummer's Eve.

...LA noche.

Fecha: 4-1-14
Palabra: Destetar

Today's SWD means to wean.

In the context I saw the word it had the usual meaning of gradually taking a baby off of his/her mother's milk. The question for the advanced readers is whether the word can also be used in a sense of gradually getting rid of a bad habit, as below.

Ejemplo time.

Mary Ann le esta destetando de cocos a Gilligan . = Mary Ann is weaning Gilligan off coconuts.

Quote: Wizard

The question for the advanced readers is whether the word can also be used in a sense of gradually getting rid of a bad habit, as below.

No.

But your example below should bring gales of laughter at the office on Monday, if I remember to show it around ;)

Quote: Nareed

your example below should bring gales of laughter at the office on Monday, if I remember to show it around ;)

Enjoy! Spanish grammar is obviously not my strong suit.

To simplify the sentence structure, how would you say Mary Ann gave Gilligan an apple?

Quote: Wizard

Enjoy! Spanish grammar is obviously not my strong suit.

Oh, this time it's the content.

Fecha: 5-1-14
Palabra: Lema

Today's SWD means motto.

In English, a lemma is basically a theorem, but usually something that is not interesting or useful by itself, but something needed to prove an even more significant theorem.

The assignment for the advanced readers is to confirm or deny a common etymology between lema and lemma.

Ejemplo time.

La lema de el mago es -- el conocimiento es bueno. = The Wizard's motto is "knowledge is good."