Spanish Word of the Day: Negocio (business)

Negocio, meaning business in English, is a Spanish word that comes from the Latin word negotium. The neg- part of the word is a negation and otium means absence of leisure or business. Over time, the meaning evolved to refer to any business or commercial activity.  Latin American Pronunciation European Pronunciation Negocio is a masculine …

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Spanish Word of the Day: Gusto (taste / pleasure)

If you have mastered the cinco sentidos (five senses) in Spanish, you will already be aware that the word for taste is gusto. A helpful way to remember this word is to think of the more formal synonym of taste, which is gustation. The other four senses are vista (sight), oído (hearing), tacto (touch), and …

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Spanish Word of the Day: Cerdo (pig)

The word cerdo, meaning pig in English, comes from the Latin word cervus. It referred to a stag or deer, but in the transition to Vulgar Latin and eventually into Spanish, it came to refer to the domesticated pig. The itself word also evolved and became cerdo with time. Latin American Pronunciation European Pronunciation Cerdo …

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Spanish Word of the Day: Destruir (to destroy)

The word destruir comes from the Latin verb destruere, which means to destroy. The term comprises the suffix de- and the Latin word struere. The suffix de- means down or away and the word struere means to build or assemble. Together, the literal meaning is to pull down or dismantle.  Latin American Pronunciation European Pronunciation …

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Spanish Word of the Day: Muerte (death)

There’s no better time to talk about today’s word than Halloween. The Spanish word muerte (death) comes from the Latin mors, mortis, which also means death. This root is shared by many other languages in the Romance family, including Italian (morte), French (mort), and Portuguese (morte). The transformation from mortis to muerte is part of …

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Spanish Word of the Day: Disfraz (costume / disguise)

If there’s a word that comes to mind when thinking about Halloween, it is disfraz. This word comes from the late Latin term disfrazare, a compound of the prefix dis- (which denotes a negation or separation) and fraceare, from fraces meaning rags or clothing. Essentially, the idea of disfraz was to alter or hide one’s appearance, …

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