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Latin /f/ to Spanish /h/
Many (most? all?) Spanish words containing the letter h come from corresponding Latin words containing the letter f. Through what process did /f/ get softened to /h/? During what time period did this change occur?
A few examples include:
hablar…
jrdioko
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"xq" in Internet slang/abbreviations
In informal chat conversations online, I have seen Spanish speakers write the abbreviation "xq." What does this stand for, and why?
jrdioko
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Is it bad to address a young male as "señor"?
I was recently in Mallorca, at a restaurant I address the waiter as "señor".
He was probably in his early 30's, he said that I should not use señor, but another word (which I unfortunately don't remember now), as señor is seen as a derogatory title…
user155695
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14
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7 answers
Why does "Se habla español" translate to "We speak Spanish"?
I see on stores that they have a sign that says Se habla español. From first glance I would think that it is saying "It speaks Spanish". How is it unambiguous that it is saying "We speak Spanish"?
I think that "We speak Spanish" would be Hablamos…
David G
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14
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9 answers
How can I say "colmo" properly in English?
There is an expression in Spanish to denote something that is absurd or unexpected. Usually it can be the maximum expression of expertise and talent.
I wondered about this mainly because in Spanish (In Colombia) at least we have some common jokes…
Jose Luis
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14
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1 answer
How to pluralize "sexy"?
The anglicism sexy is accepted in Spanish, as you know (in the DLE it shows as adj. sexi. U. t. c. s. m.)
When it's an adjective, how is its plural supposed to be built?
X persona tiene ojos sexy(s).
I'm slightly inclined to think that it remains…
c.p.
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14
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¿Por qué cuando digo "Él no va a ningún lado" siento que está mal dicho?
En muchas, muchas, muchas ocasiones he usado este término. Y lo he escuchado de muchas personas también, la pregunta no es si está bien dicho, sino porque siento que carece de lógica y que significa todo lo contrario.
Soy programador y lo veo…
Axel A. García
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14
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7 answers
Are there any nouns with irregular plurals in Spanish?
In English, some nouns have regular plural forms ending in -s or -es and fewer are irregular. Fish in the plural is still fish while child becomes children.
In Spanish, nearly all nouns are regular, adding -s or -es. The rule is even simpler than…
Brian
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4 answers
"Iros" instead of "idos" (imperative of verb "ir")
I have heard many times the use of the infinitive instead of the imperative in Spanish with the verb "ir". For example:
Si me queréis, *irse (Instead of: Si me queréis, váyanse) [Famous quote of artist Lola Flores]
*Ir yendo (Instead of: Id…
Juanillo
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How to translate “cuddly”
How should I translate “cuddly”, as in cuddly puppy?
The dictionaries I checked say “de peluche”, but isn’t that a stuffed animal? Or “adorable”, but not all adorable animals are cuddly (baby whales, for example). Or “acogedor”, which means…
Arrendajo
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14
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4 answers
¿Cuál es el significado de "órale" y su origen?
La palabra "órale" es usada frecuentemente en México en situaciones informales. ¿Cuál es su significado y origen?
Alfredo Osorio
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14
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¿Cómo se pronunciaban infinitivos ligados a pronombres con doble ele?
En el Quijote hay varios ejemplos de infinitivos ligados a pronombres con doble ele:
...jurando de ir a buscar al valeroso don Quijote de la Mancha y contalle punto por punto lo que había pasado...
...bebieron del agua del arroyo de los batanes,…
Ian Mackinnon
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14
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6 answers
Determining gender of words ending in "e"
When learning Spanish, there are basic rules taught about word gender: words ending in o are usually masculine, words ending in a are usually feminine.
What about words ending in e? Are there any guidelines or rules of thumb for determining the…
jrdioko
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What's that funny "illo" I keep hearing in Southern Spain?
Common case: I came to live in Southern Spain some time ago and I'm learning Spanish here. I keep hearing every once and again the word 'illo'. It seems to be used as a vocative to call people or just give emphasis to a sentence. But what does that…
Charlie
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14
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7 answers
Help me pronounce single "r"
I've recently started studying Spanish (Latin American) with Rosetta Stone. I think I'm doing trilled r's right but I'm not sure if I'm doing single r's right. Are they supposed to have a single trill, or no trill? Please help me learn how to…
Dan
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