The Cervantes Institute is celebrating the Spanish language. Spoken in five continents and with over 450 million speakers, as a way to recognize such a wonderful parole, commonality and connection among so many people many head offices of the Institute are celebrating 'El d?a E'.
As per the Director of the Cervantes Institute in New York: "Se trata de celebrar algo importante, de recordar que tenemos un gran tesoro", le dijo a BBC Mundo Eduardo Lago, director del Insituto Cervantes de Nueva York.
The organizers of this event want to celebrate it every year on the Saturday closest to the summer solstice.
On the dedicated website that's paying tribute to the language of Cervantes, Spanish speakers from around the world were asked to crown their favourite word. The winning word was 'malevo' which is used in the Argentinean vernacular. According to the article it means:
I have never heard this word or heard it used in this context. Being around Argentineans or in country would increase one's chances but in a general sense words and expressions in a language get around but I have never heard this one until now.
INTERESTING OPINION POLL AND COMMENTS (SEE ARTICLE)
What I like about this opinion poll is it reveals once again the diversity in Spanish. Words and expressions can be generic, regional, archaic, popular etc. their meaning is subject to usage by their speakers. Some of the readers make some valid points which include words that should be removed from the dictionary (the RAE). I like the last phrase of the article:
IMO, words identify people and there are words and expressions that are definitely associated with a nationality or nationalities. Spanish is not an exception. What I find fun, as I said before is discovering them on your own via interaction, observation, listening etc. to how a group of people speak. It also shows that a person is really in tune with the language in all its facets. Although we all do not speak the same way or at the same level there are commonalities. Many times I identify a group of Spanish speakers simply by the usage of words, phrases, intonation and even the way they express themselves grammatically. I have also observed that many people can't do this.
Here is the link to the article and some of the comments are really interesting to read:
BBC Mundo - Portada
(See article titled: 'No sea 'malevo', hable espa?ol'. When I link it directly it does not open)
Favourite words or expressions
What is your favourite Spanish word or expression? (no vulgarities please as they usually steer the thread in the wrong direction)
(Hopefully people will show their diversity and not just be limited to the DR .....Spanish-speakers from the DR only represent approx 5% of total Spanish-speaking population).
-Marianopolita
... I was very reluctant to start yet another thread, I sure have enough but I thought it would be a good way to revive this very inactive forum.
As per the Director of the Cervantes Institute in New York: "Se trata de celebrar algo importante, de recordar que tenemos un gran tesoro", le dijo a BBC Mundo Eduardo Lago, director del Insituto Cervantes de Nueva York.
The organizers of this event want to celebrate it every year on the Saturday closest to the summer solstice.
On the dedicated website that's paying tribute to the language of Cervantes, Spanish speakers from around the world were asked to crown their favourite word. The winning word was 'malevo' which is used in the Argentinean vernacular. According to the article it means:
I have never heard this word or heard it used in this context. Being around Argentineans or in country would increase one's chances but in a general sense words and expressions in a language get around but I have never heard this one until now.
INTERESTING OPINION POLL AND COMMENTS (SEE ARTICLE)
What I like about this opinion poll is it reveals once again the diversity in Spanish. Words and expressions can be generic, regional, archaic, popular etc. their meaning is subject to usage by their speakers. Some of the readers make some valid points which include words that should be removed from the dictionary (the RAE). I like the last phrase of the article:
IMO, words identify people and there are words and expressions that are definitely associated with a nationality or nationalities. Spanish is not an exception. What I find fun, as I said before is discovering them on your own via interaction, observation, listening etc. to how a group of people speak. It also shows that a person is really in tune with the language in all its facets. Although we all do not speak the same way or at the same level there are commonalities. Many times I identify a group of Spanish speakers simply by the usage of words, phrases, intonation and even the way they express themselves grammatically. I have also observed that many people can't do this.
Here is the link to the article and some of the comments are really interesting to read:
BBC Mundo - Portada
(See article titled: 'No sea 'malevo', hable espa?ol'. When I link it directly it does not open)
Favourite words or expressions
What is your favourite Spanish word or expression? (no vulgarities please as they usually steer the thread in the wrong direction)
(Hopefully people will show their diversity and not just be limited to the DR .....Spanish-speakers from the DR only represent approx 5% of total Spanish-speaking population).
-Marianopolita
... I was very reluctant to start yet another thread, I sure have enough but I thought it would be a good way to revive this very inactive forum.
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