Spanish Word of the Day

Quote: Wizard

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

They are cognates. A mathematica lemma is usually understood to be a minor theorem that is proved first as a stepping stone to a more fundamental meaningful theorem. But the Greek word implies an "accepted proposition". Technically the lemma could be an axiom or simply accepted as correct.

A dilemma (Spanish dilema) is part of English since the 1520s, from Late Latin dilemma, from Greek dilemma "double proposition". I assume in both languages it involves a difficult choice.

In English linguistics a "lemma" is a "citation form" in a dictionary. For instance the word be is the lemma for the verb with conjugations "be, being, am, are, is, was, were" and the archaic forms "wast, and wert". For verbs the lemma is usually the bare infinitive. The common question "how many words are there in the English language" should actually be "how many lemmas are in the English language". The answer is over a million.

In English motto from 1580s, from Italian motto "a saying, legend attached to a heraldic design," from Late Latin muttum "grunt, word," from Latin muttire "to mutter, mumble, murmur".

I suppose it is just as logical to refer to such a saying as a "lema" because it is an "accepted proposition".

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

In English wean was figuratively extended to gradually losing any pursuit or habit from the 1520s. The ancestor is the Old English wenian which means "to accustom". Clearly the word did not have such a literal meaning as the Spanish word.



In Spanish destetar (De "des-" y "teta"). So the word obviously has the more literal meaning of "giving up the 'teta' ". Clearly from Nareed's laughter it never broadened in that language to the larger meaning.

Fecha: 6-1-14
Palabra: Hincapié

Today's SWD means emphasis.

The assignment for the advanced readers is to compare and contrast énfasis e hincapié.

Ejemplo time.

El capitán dice con hincapié que no molestar el profesor. = The skipper said, with emphasis, to no bother the professor.

Quote: Pacomartin

In Spanish destetar (De "des-" y "teta"). So the word obviously has the more literal meaning of "giving up the 'teta' ". Clearly from Nareed's laughter it never broadened in that language to the larger meaning.

According to Spanishdict.com, destetar can also mean "To wean oneself from an evil habit or custom." See definition #2.

Quote: Wizard

El capitán dice con hincapié que no molestar el profesor. = The skipper said, with emphasis, to no bother the professor.

It's not used that way. "El capitán HACE hincapie de no moelstar al profesor."

Quote: Nareed

It's not used that way. "El capitán HACE hincapie de no moelstar al profesor."

The word comes from hincar +‎ pié which literally means to thrust with your foot (or stomp).]
The phrase "hacer hincapié" or literally"to do with a thrust of your foot" means "to emphasize/stress'.

Quote: Wizard

According to Spanishdict.com, destetar can also mean "To wean oneself from an evil habit or custom." See definition #2.

Well, Nareed will have to explain what was so funny.

Quote: Pacomartin

Well, Nareed will have to explain what was so funny.

Oh, an attractive girl taking a guy off the teats is nor uproarious, but it's dirty.

For somethign funnier turn to Les Luthiers (as usual), in "Cantata del Adelantado Don Rodrigo Díaz de Carreras, etc, etc, etc" there's this line:

"Pusé pie en tierra de Incas. O sea, hice incapie."

The whole act is hilarious. Don Rodrigo supposedly arrives in the Americas in 1491, and meets tragedy, disaster and misfortune in the first segment alone.

Fecha: 7-1-14
Palabra: Olfatear

Today's SWD means to sniff/smell.

The assignment for the advanced readers is to compare and contrast olfatear y oler.

Ejemplo time.

Olfateo algo podrido en Dinamarca. = I smell something rotten in Denmark.

Quote: Wizard

The assignment for the advanced readers is to compare and contrast olfatear y oler.

About $3.95 or so.

But you want to be careful with the nouns. Olfato means the sense of smell. Olor means a smell.

Quote: Nareed

But you want to be careful with the nouns. Olfato means the sense of smell. Olor means a smell.

In Latin olere "emit a smell, give off a smell of" (see odor in English)
In Latin olfacere "to get the smell of, sniff," from olere+ facere "make" (see factitious in English and hacer in Spanish).

In English "olfactory" is an adjective, and "olfaction" is the noun. The noun is seldom used.

Quote: Pacomartin

In English "olfactory" is an adjective, and "olfaction" is the noun. The noun is seldom used.

Sure, but if you get used to saying "olfatear" rather than "oler," you may come to use "olfato" as signifying "scent." Then when you compliment a woman on her perfume, for example, you will be telling her she has a nice sense of smell, or that you like her sense of smell. Those are the quirks that can make you sound insane in a foreign language.