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In the Internet I've often come across to internationalized websites where they have things like:

Remove file / Remover archivo

I always thought this translation may be done by someone who is not a native speaker, because at least in Spain the typical verbs for translating "to remove a file" are "borrar" or "eliminar". So at least something like "remueve ese fichero" sounds very weird.

But RAE says this about remover:

No hay por qué censurar su empleo con los sentidos de ‘quitar [algo] de un lugar’ y ‘apartar [a alguien] de su cargo’, suponiendo, erróneamente, que se trata de un calco del inglés to remove: «Librar a este país de ese hombre, eso era lo principal. Removido ese obstáculo [...], se abriría una puerta» (VLlosa Fiesta [Perú 2000]); «Sus jefes tendrían la facultad de designar o remover coroneles y capitanes» (Otero Temporada [Cuba 1983]). Son acepciones tradicionales en español, ya presentes en el étimo latino: «Tales deven ser removidos de la aministraçión fasta que fagan buena penitençia» (Cuéllar Catecismo [Esp. 1325]).

I just want to know if in any country "remover" is the usual way of saying "to remove" when it means "to eliminate". Is it generally widely used or quite uncommon?

fedorqui
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Javi
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3 Answers3

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En España, "remover" nunca significa "to remove". Aquí decimos "borrar", o "eliminar". Para nosotros, "remover" significa dar vueltas, con ayuda de algún utensilio, a un líquido o una mezcla, para homogeneizarla.

Telaclavo
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"Remover", meaning to eliminate something, is not uncommon and I don't think it's necessarily a calque or Spanglish.

Off the top of my head, "remueve hasta las manchas más difíciles" (literally, "removes even the hardest stains") is the slogan of a stain remover here in Argentina and sounds quite natural. "Removido de sus funciones" is a common euphemism to say someone has been fired (especially from a public office).

Having said that, "remover un archivo", although perfectly understandable (and probably correct), sounds a tad odd to me (or at least, not very colloquial). I would use "eliminar" or "borrar".

Juan Pablo Califano
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Regarding Juan Pablo Califano's answer, 'remover' doesn't mean 'eliminar' by any means. It means separation, to move something (primarily speaking).

The translation 'Remover archivo', would mean to move away the file from the system, but not necesarily delete it. The majority of people has accepted that as a correct translation due to the incorrect one being used since the beginnings of personal computers being more available at homes and workplaces.

The correct translation, as already said, is 'borrar/suprimir/eliminar/destruir 'el archivo`.

Check the the verb meaning given by the DLE:

remover
Del lat. removēre.

Conjug. c. mover.

  1. tr. Pasar o mudar algo de un lugar a otro. U. t. c. prnl.

  2. tr. Mover algo, agitándolo o dándole vueltas, generalmente para que sus distintos elementos se mezclen.

  3. tr. Quitar, apartar u obviar un inconveniente.

  4. tr. Conmover, alterar o revolver alguna cosa o asunto que estaba olvidado, detenido, etc. U. t. c. prnl.

  5. tr. Deponer o apartar a alguien de su empleo o destino.

  6. tr. Investigar un asunto para sacar a la luz cosas que estaban ocultas.

Edel Gerardo
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