TOP 40: CURIOSITIES OF THE SPANISH LANGUAGE ( PART 2)

Today I’ll continue with more of the Top 40: Curiosities of the Spanish Language that I started on April 23rd, remembering Spanish Language day.

Enjoy Reading!

No. 20: The letters “E – A -  O -  L -  S” are the most used by Spanish Speakers every day. The leader is letter E with "A" (16,78%), next is letter "O" (11,96%), "L" (8, 69%) and “S” (7,88%). The less used is W (0,01%).

No. 21: The letter “ñ” belongs to Spanish Language and other Languages as  Aragonese, Galician, Basque (Between Spain and France), Aymara (Indigenous Language spoken in Peru, Bolivia, Argentina and Chile). 

No. 22: The virguilla (~) the “ñ” has comes from another “n” and it was use on top of the biggest one, like an abbreviation. After some time, it flattens and ~ is and it becomes one of the biggest distinctive of Spanish Language.  

No. 23: “CH” (che) and “LL” (elle) were eliminated from the abecedary since 1994 by the Real Academy of Spanish Language. 

No. 24: Numbers in Spanish have either “O” or “E”, except for  "MIL" (thousand)   is the only one that doesn´t.

No. 25: There are four words with four consonants in line: Transplant ( Transplantar) , subtract ( Sustraer) , abstract ( abstracto), abstraction ( abstracción).

No. 26: The only Word with 5 “R” is: ferrocarrilero (railroader).

No. 27: The longest words in Spanish are: sternocleidomastoid (esternocleidomastoideo) an electroencephalography ( electroencefalografía)

No. 28: Spanish Language was official in many regions in all five continents. Many people think it is only spoken in the Americas (North, Central and South) and Europe.  It is also spoken in African Equatorial Guinea. In Philippines was the official Languages until 1950s. (Philippines was Spanish island territory from 1565 to 1898). Besides, in Easter Island Spanish is the official Language as it is in Oceania.

No. 29: Spanish Language has more than 350.000 words or terms, although the Real Academy of Language only accepts 88.000.

No. 30: A Spanish speaker usually employs an average of 300 words daily. A well-educated person knows more terms and employs 500 words daily. A journalist or a writer, may employ 3000 words. 

No. 31: Cervantes called Father of the Spanish Language, allegedly used 8000 different words in his Books.

No. 32: People in Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay and Chile usually call someone "vos" (instead of you). This is also used in Guatemala, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, St. Salvador, Honduras and in some Colombian regions such as Antioquia, Risaralda and Valle del Cauca.  

No. 33: These are some verbs with little use in Spanish: “Aupar”, it means to lift something, “Amustiar” is the same as “be sad, wither, languish” and “ralentizar” means go slower. 

No. 34: Translation to Spanish Language have 20% more words tan translations to English Language. 

No. 35: The term “HAIGA” does exist, but it doesn’t replace "HAYA" (from the verb Haber in english " to have"). According to Real Academy of Spanish Language it’s an ironic name for a big flamboyant car (you don’t hear it in daily language). 

No. 36: The word “AYA” exists. It doesn´t replace “ALLÁ” (there). "Aya" means slave or nursemaid. It is best known as Nanny or governess.

No. 37: The term ceviche/ cebiche/ sebiche (dish made with marinated fish meat or seafood): According to the Real Academy of spanish Language, they are all correct, but its preferable to use “Cebiche” because it comes from the persian “Sirk” that means vinegar, then the medieval Arabic ﺳكباج (sikbāǧ) that means “acid meat”. Although there is another origin that comes from quechua (Incan Language) and it os called “siwichi” that means “fresh and tender fish”. And another posible origin comes from the Muisca Civilization where “Viche” means “Tender Fish”. 

No. 38: Spoken Spanish Language is the fastest because the number of syllables a person can pronounce per second.

No. 39: An anagram is a word, phrase, or name formed by rearranging the letters of another, such as spar, formed from rasp. Spanish examples: Ecuatorianos and Aeronáuticos;  Irónicamente and Renacimiento;  Cleopatra and  Aceptarlo (same letters in different order). 

No. 40: Palindromes are words or phrases that can be read from left to right as in right to left. One  examplesin english:  Madam, Im Adam. Now  Some examples in Spanish:

Reconocer (to recognize) , acurruca (snuggles), somos ( we are), arenera (vessel for sand) o sometemos (we submit) . Also, some palindrome phrases: “la ruta natural” (the natural route) , “Anita lava la tina (Anita washes the tub) ”, “Yo hago yoga hoy” (I do yoga today).

   

Written by Adriana Martinez