as someone who studies linguistics, i will never not laugh when someone says “that word doesn’t exist” like, my good bitch. if a word is regularly used by a certain amount of people then it exists. if it has its own grammatical rules then its perfectly valid. it’s part of their lexicon now, sweetie. “It’s a made up word” honey, all words are made up. Linguists didn’t just fucking excavate athens and were like BEHOLD!!! VOCABULARY!! “that word isn’t in the dictionary” dictionaries are not rule books, they’re record books. “Refrigerate” didn’t exist 200 years ago and yet here we are. a language that doesn’t adapt to an ever changing society is bound to be lost because, eventually, it won’t be able to keep up with social progress. you motherfuckers.
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Okay so. The Romans think that sex doesn't count as real sex unless Someone Is Getting Penetrated By A Dick Or Dick-Adjacent Object. Very sort of dick-centric system.
So Latin has six words for "to fuck", divided into three pairs: one pair for each of the possible Holes (ass, mouth, pussy). In each pair there is a word for topping and a word for bottoming.
Most people who know a little about Latin fuck verbs know 'pedicare' and 'irrumare' from the first line of Catullus 16 (Pēdīcābō ego vōs et irrumābō), which is a poem about saying "absolutely shut the fuck up and piss all the way off" to fandom antis and purity police who are making repulsive accusations about you personally, based on things they're reading into your work from a bad-faith perspective. Catullus was so real for that and it's incredibly endearing to me that he was dealing with the same thing we are still dealing with. I got a hater in my askbox doing this about The Wisdom of Emperors just the other day, but I took the high road and, unlike Catullus, did not tell them "I will assfuck you and I will facefuck you"
So here sort of a chart about the verbs:
Topping | Bottoming
Mouth: irrumare | fellare
Ass: pedicare | cevere
Cunt: futuere | crisare
Another fun fact related to the fuck verbs was that the Romans didn't think about sexual orientation in terms of who you're attracted to, they thought about it in terms of "which is your favorite hole and what do you like to do with it." So you'll get graffiti (ancient roman subtweeting) about things like "Marcus is a fututor [cunt-fucker] and a pedico [ass-fucker] but omg girlies I also heard he's a fellator [cock-sucker] 👀👀👀👀" In the modern day we'd just call him bisexual, but in Ancient Rome it is not enough to know if someone is bisexual (they think it's kind of perverted if a man only fucks women, like do you have some kind of freaky pussy fetish???? you've never once even fucked a twink??? dat's gay, bro. gay to not be bi), you also have to know if he's being bisexual in a respectable sort of way
You will notice that pussy-eating is not on this list, because those words do not mean "to fuck", they translate more directly to just "pussy-licking" (cunnilingus), and because the Romans are sexist as all hell and think that's gross and filthy anyway. This is not ONLY because of pussy terror, it's also that the mouth is the most sacred part of the body -- so eating pussy or sucking a dick is actually considered slightly more "shameful" than getting fucked in the ass. (Please note as well that the fuck verbs are gender neutral -- if you're a roman man and your girlfriend owns a strap-on, she can [pedicare] you. but be careful because your sworn enemy in the forum will have a fucking FIELD DAY if he hears about that and will write a Mean Poem about you or subtweet you on a public wall)
The moral of this story is that the Ancient Romans were absolutely *GAGGING* for social media (see Martial's Epigrams, aka My Best Tweets), and the second moral of this story is that if this was a fun post for you, you should look at my kickstarter for alllllll of this kind of nonsense in the form of A Fantasy Novel That's Pretending To Be An Academic Paper With A Fake Bibliography And Foonotes aka The Wisdom of Emperors. And please signal boost this so everyone can know about Latin Fuck Verbs and Roman Subtweeting, we've really learned so much here together
Honestly, as a German I can not quite understand the obsession of the English speaking world with the question whether a word exists or not. If you have to express something for which there is no word, you have to make a new one, preferably by combining well-known words, and in the very same moment it starts to exist. Agree?
Deutsche Freunde, could you please create for me a word for the extreme depression I feel when I bend down to pick up a piece of litter and discover two more pieces of litter?
ver = prefix to indicate something difficult or negative, a change that leads to deterioration or even destruction that is difficult to reverse or to undo, or a strong negative change of the mental state of a person
der Müll = garbage, trash, rubbish, litter
-ung = -ing
die Vermüllung = littering
ver- = see before
zweifeln = to doubt
-ung = see before
die Verzweiflung = despair, exasperation, desperation
@shiplocks-of-love I don’t think that will happen. The words make perfect sense. I think if German is your mother tongue you get a feeling for combining words, like a
• irren = to become lost (also: to err, to be mistaken; to wander, to stray)
• der Garten = garden
der Irrgarten = maze, knot garden
• be- = prefix with a variety of functions: ¹as part of a compound word, it denotes a processing or change of state; ²as part of a compound word, it denotes a touch; ³as part of a compound word, it denotes a more intensive preoccupation with or thematization of something; ⁴it forms from a noun an adjective with a pseudo-participle form because the corresponding verb does not exist; ⁵as a prefix, it forms a transitive verb from a previously intransitive verb; ⁶as a prefix of a verb, it shifts the focus and thus changes the sentence structure
• lustig = funny
• -ung = suffix turning an adjective/adverb into a noun
die Belustigung = amusement, entertainment, merriment
der Beitrag = contribution, article in a newspaper or magazine, posting on social media, input to a discussion
The thing is, since in German you have to decline/conjugate many words in relation to the noun they are refering to those monster words actually serve a purpose of making the language simpler.
A common example is a (as in any) red wine (ein roter Wein) as compaired to the compound a red wine (ein Rotwein). If rot is an adjective it has to be conjugated: der rote Wein - des roten Weins - die roten Weine - and many more. But it if rot is part of the noun you only have to decline Wein: der Rotwein - des Rotweins - die Rotweine.
So, die Verzweiflung über die Vermüllung der Umwelt is way longer than Umweltvermüllungsverzweiflung and you would have to know three grammatical genders and the words’ respective declinations. Whereas for Umweltvermüllungsverzweiflung you only need to know that Verzweiflung is grammatically feminine (die) and its deklinations.
The thing that I always want to point out to English speakers marvelling at German compounds is that we do this too! It’s a thing that Germanic languages are especially prone to!
It’s just conventional in English to keep writing spaces in between larger compounds, whereas in German it’s conventional to remove them. But they sound the same! Grammatically, they’re identical!
You could call it the…
English-German compound word space omission overadmiration fallacy
Tecumseh was motivated to learn Ojibwe and earn the World Language Certificate by his family and his people.
“I’m honored to be the first person to do it,” he said. “It is very, very awe inspiring.”
“A lot of people don’t really know Ojibwe,” Tecumseh said. “it’s been oppressed throughout history … I’m the first person in my family, my direct family, to not be at risk of being put in a boarding school. … I think that by taking someone’s language away you’re taking a part of themselves and their identity. By learning that, I wanted to let people learn my language, our language, and spread it across the world.”
Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe Tribal Nations Education Committee Member Raina Killspotted presented Tecumseh an eagle feather as a language warrior. Williams presented him with a blanket as he accepted his certificate[…]
“My advice to younger people or other people who are trying to learn Ojibwe is there are people out there who would be very happy and grateful if you want to learn that language,” he said. “And I think if more people can take it upon themselves to learn Ojibwe then it would very much help their chances because Ojibwe is endangered.” [source]
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I started listening to the cree radio station because its the only one left in my range that doesnt play alberta separatist ads now and those make me see red like some sort of bull, which is not safe while im behind the wheel of a vehicle going 110
Why haven't they told me about the cree all-purpose radio station sooner. They play everything from the 50s to today. Half of their ads and one of their shows is in cree which I do not speak a lick of but thats fine, they play banger music. They give me local news updates that arent dripping with UCP cocksucking. They tell me about things that affect a demographic I otherwise hear very little about by virtue of being a white guy in alberta.
We are holding hands. We are learning about other cultures. We are listening to 60s rock and roll and then an elder will tell us stories about his youth. I am enamored. I am in love.
Lots of people in the notes have asked me to drop the radio station im talking about here. If youre in the Edmonton area the frequency is 89.3, and when we went on a trip recently we got pretty reliable signal all the way to Ponoka. If youre outside of it or international you can get the live broadcast at ravenradio.ca
They also have a retro hour at noon every day and do language lessons for allies
"The simultaneous borrowing of French and Latin words led to a highly distinctive feature of modern English vocabulary: sets of three items, all expressing the same fundamental notion but differing slightly in meaning or style, e.g., kingly, royal, regal; rise, mount, ascend; ask, question, interrogate; fast, firm, secure; holy, sacred, consecrated. The Old English word (the first in each triplet) is the most colloquial, the French (the second) is more literary, and the Latin word (the last) more learned." (Howard Jackson and Etienne Zé Amvela, "Words, Meaning and Vocabulary: An Introduction to Modern English Lexicology." Continuum, 2000)
via ThoughtCo
Though I like how John McWhorter phrases it better:
But language tends not to do what we want it to. The die was cast: English had thousands of new words competing with native English words for the same things. One result was triplets allowing us to express ideas with varying degrees of formality. Help is English, aid is French, assist is Latin. Or, kingly is English, royal is French, regal is Latin – note how one imagines posture improving with each level: kingly sounds almost mocking, regal is straight-backed like a throne, royal is somewhere in the middle, a worthy but fallible monarch.
once again needing to remind some people that mispronouncing foreign words isn't just about not knowing how to say it; if your language doesn't have that sound, in many cases you can't hear it properly. You won't be able to hear yourself say it wrong because you probably can't distinguish between the sounds a native speaker can. It will sound right to you and you will be wrong.
Most languages use relatively similar sound inventories overall, but make distinctions others don't. And the way the our language centers work is they group these sounds together, allowing us to recognize that things within a given range constitute a recognizable phoneme. If your languages groups together sounds another language makes a distinction between, your brain cannot tell.
So everyone on those posts congratulating themselves for looking up pronunciation and saying "It's Not That Hard?" Surprise, you might have still got it wrong and can't even tell. You can look up the IPA chart and still flub it completely because what sounds right to your brain and what a native speaker will understand are totally different things!
"I might have butchered that, please let me know" is sometimes an excuse for lack of research, but it is, unfortunately, also a much more accurate self-assessment than confidently fucking it up after mouthing along to a wav file a few times.
This is one of the reasons that, historically, many people would take on or be granted new names if they stayed any length of time in another culture; it's very common for the names from one language to simply not map to the sounds of another!
this just in apparently; accents are just affectations and every ESL person who has ever struggled to understand or pronounce a word is a lazy white person
(I first need to say that it is folly to overexamine a slogan, and the slogan as it stands is never intended to be examined; it is a tool for provocation and a rally to do better, and can never be “incorrect.” I am not criticising the intention of the slogan.)
When Black Americans have addressed the genuinely shameful failures of white Americans to pronounce Black names, it is, firstly, absolutely necessary. This has been done in the past with the slogan, “white people can pronounce Tchaikovsky and Schwarzenegger.”
This is intended to highlight the entirely correct point that white Americans have made more efforts to address names that are considered “foreign” and “difficult” but are associated with “white” cultures, than to address Black names. The slogan is provocative, useful, and highlights the hypocrisy of white Americans. It is a challenge to do better. Because Americans often perceive z’s and v’s to be “foreign” and “difficult” it is an especially pointed dig.
However. Let us briefly lump together Americans, all English-speaking Americans of various backgrounds dialects, into one American lump and stand back.
Respectfully: you HAVE to be American to believe that Americans have learned to pronounce “Tchaikovsky” and “Schwarzenegger” correctly.
Although Americans firmly and confidently believe that they can take on “Schwarzenegger,” German speakers… don’t. That’s just not how you say those sounds. One particular letter gets mangled.
It isn’t even an accent problem; you can say it correctly with a strong American accent. The American reinvention of “Schwarzenegger” represents a failure to understand how German sounds work, which is fine - hey, they’re “difficult” and “foreign” - but it is paired with total unearned confidence on the part of ALL Americans of ALL dialects that “of course we know how to say it. It’s a celebrity who was on the TV, he’s a governor, that’s how everyone says it.”
If you listen to Arnold saying HIS OWN NAME, which he does, you can tell that AMERICANS ARE NOT EVEN SAYING HIS NAME LIKE HE DOES. Even British people land a better attempt. It is a function of American cultural hegemony that Americans do not notice this. It is an inherently American view of the world to believe that a consistent, confident mispronunciation of someone’s name is a respectful, educated and correct handling.
(Tchaikovsky is interesting because it’s an Anglicisation of a French version of the spelling of Чайковский, which was possibly settled on because it was the easier way to get English speakers to perceive it. American English tried a different version in his own lifetime, as you can see below, but which would have led to Americans putting a “cow” in it.)
Again, it doesn’t cancel the slogan, the slogan is good-quality - but it shows how this is invisible to those who have not learned otherwise.
Outside of America, all Americans are perceived as American together, and Yanks join the ranks of English speakers. English speakers are famed around the world for having the same “bash and mangle it into something that sounds similar, and insist that it’s correct, because you don’t hear the difference” approach.
It will help in learning other languages to try. It will help a lot to take the loss with grace and accept correction!
Although the OP sort of accidentally implies that you “can’t” hear certain nuanced sounds - it is entirely possible to distinguish and perceive most nuanced sounds even in extremely nuanced languages, with intention and attention and training, especially with the guidance of a native speaker. Even if you can’t get it perfect it is still possible to improve and worthy to try!
IMO of the most fascinating ways for an English native speaker, especially an American one, to understand this is to watch how Mr Yang teaches Chinese students how to use American handling. “Soften up on the K sound” “throw in a little SpongeBob to it” you will suddenly hear things you probably weren’t ready to hear.
English Class #learnenglish #chinese
Here is a British person making a respectful attempt at Schwarzenegger, followed by Schwarzenegger saying it himself. One person has a British accent, and Schwarzenegger’s Austrian accent is considered distinctive to German speakers, but ideally, once you try to notice it, even if you are American, you should be able to hear what Americans are doing wrong.
Signed languages are not inherently simpler or easier than spoken languages... never let yourself fall into that trap because you will be let down
I want more people to learn their country's/local Deaf community's sign language, but hearing people need to come into it expecting to have a lot to learn (because you do!). There's all kinds of aspects in many sign languages (that I know of) that don't exist in many spoken languages like classifiers, body shifting, and locational reference points. Facial expressions matter A LOT, it's the difference between many many signs. "NEED" has 4 different meanings based on facial expression alone.
If it's easy for you that's really awesome. I am genuinely glad for you. But let's stop thinking of signed languages as "simpler" just because the word usage and grammar is different. It's a reflection of audist beliefs that sign languages aren't equal to spoken languages.
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If you want an idea what more authentic oldschool hacking language sounds like, there is an absolutely ANCIENT webpage called the Jargon File (seems to have been updated from the early 80s up through 2004), aka the New Hacker’s Dictionary, that kept a record. It’s not far from Gibson’s idea but if anything it sounds even dorkier, peppered with coding terms and prehistoric memes
I have a probably stupid question. What is Catullus 51? All these translations seem very different to each other and when I tried looking up what I thought was original in Latin, it was nothing like any of these translations even in approximation. Is it an umbrella term for a bunch of poems? Are you purposefully translating them artistically enough that they aren't similar to the original? Am I missing something, obvious or not? I liked one of your translations a lot, and would love to know the original, but I can't find it since I don't know what it is.
there are no stupid questions. catullus 51 is catullus’ translation of sappho 31. you can read the latin text + a very literal english translation on wikisource here. the Lore for what i’m doing with it is. in 2018 a friend and i challenged ourselves to translate it every day of november, differently each time, to see what happened to like. our understanding of the poem and also of what ‘translation’ means. or could mean. i was also studying translation theory at the time and thought it would be cool to learn through experimenting. since then i have ‘translated’ it maybe 70 or 80 times? you are right in noticing that a lot of these do not look like a literal translation of the latin. um some thoughts on this:
if you translate the same poem 70+ times you will get bored and start doing strange things to it. but what strange things?
i read the translator’s invisibility by lawrence venuti and it had. an effect. part of its argument is that all translation is a series of choices, but certain choices are more often prioritised, viewed as neutral, and contribute to a culture where the role of the translator becomes invisible. because their choices are not remarked on as choices. sure this is often in the context of like. word choice. but it is also things like the choice to prioritise equivalent ‘literal’ meaning. in a homophonic translation you might choose instead to prioritise sound over everything else.
i also read catullus 51 as a poem very closely, a lot. particularly influential on me (after the first 30 or so translations) was marie elizabeth young’s chapter on it in the book translation as muse: poetic translation in catullus’s rome which has a lot generally about cultures of translation as rivalry/competition/seeking to outdo the ‘original’ author, and reads catullus 51 specifically as an appropriation of / rivalry with sappho 31, where the triangulation between catullus, sappho, and any other rival translators maps onto the triangulation of the ‘love plot’ of the poem. if you then superimpose all of this onto e.g. sappho and ‘lesbia’ and clodia who may or may not be lesbia, and catullus’ ‘translation’ of sappho/clodia into the female object of desire ‘lesbia’… well there is a lot happening in catullus 51 at that point. like there are probably at least 100 ways you could translate the poem prioritising different elements in different ways
so for most of my translations. and i do call them that because i think only referring to strictly literal translations as translations is boring and limiting and contributes to the translator’s invisibility etc. i am choosing to prioritise a slightly different reading each time. sometimes an unintuitive one sometimes a vaguely meta one, and trying make visible in the poem an awareness of its existence as a series of choices / a series of rearrangements of that triangular structure, where the translator has agency, and can use it for a variety of evil purposes. or sometimes im just having fun with a silly metrical form. like doing a cartwheel.*
and i think catullus 51 is a very good poem to try this with. because yes it’s structure is the same as the relationship between me/catullus/sappho. but it also has such canonical status that you really can do whatever to it and it would be fine. i would not do these things with, for example, an otherwise untranslated poem by an emerging contemporary poet. as much as i want to compete with catullus 51, it has 2000+ years on me! f.
but still. almost all my cat51s retain the basic ‘plot’. a lot of them have been experiments with either metre/form/pushing the idea of what a translation can be. at what point do they become original poems? at what point does cat51 become original and not just a translation of sappho 31? what do one gazillion translations say about the hierarchy in the relationship between poet and translator, ‘original’ and ‘translation’? what about if poet and translator are the same person?
also at this point in my hashtag translation theory journey i genuinely think in the face of the impossibility of a definitive translation, especially of a relatively short text. the play is to just translate it like one gazillion times. a reader can see/construct a ‘real’ translation out of the gaps and commonalities and hundred different points of emphasis. my best translation of catullus 51 is the constellation made by all of the translations at once.
translation as catasterism? is that anything?
to answer your questions very directly. catullus 51 is a specific latin poem. all of my translations approximate different aspects of it. if you scroll way back to the ones from 2018 some of them are a lot more ‘literal’. but i disagree with the idea that being literal should be the priority of translation. also catullus 51 is one of my favourite poems of all time ever, and if i didn’t translate it in a way i considered poetry i would probably blow up!
*i assume cartwheels are fun. i have never actually been able to do one
"Irish doesn't have a word for please, you have to say if it be your will" buddy do I have news for you about "please"
"Irish doesn't have a word for hello you have to use a shorthand religious blessing" buddy do I have news for you about "goodbye"!
"In Polish the word for car is that which walks by itself" BUDDY what do you think an AUTOMOBILE is?
you have got to understand that your mother tongue is not the model of language. all your words have secret histories and layers of meaning just the same as other people's words. the word you think of as just a word has etymology, it wasn't handed down from God as a finished word. English doesn't have a word for movie you have to either refer to the recording medium or use a short version of "moving picture", isn't that cute?
Bonus 103: ¡Pos ya está! Translating Because Internet into Spanish with Miguel Sánchez Ibáñez
Because Internet, our cohost's book about internet language, now exists in four additional languages: Japanese, Korean, Chinese, and Spanish. But these translations are also very much acts of creation, of figuring out which things to translate literally, which to leave in English as it's used globally, and which to translate figuratively so that the spirit of the original comes across more clearly -- all questions that are especially acute when it comes to translating a book that is itself about language.
In this bonus episode, Gretchen gets enthusiastic about the joys and challenges of translating internet slang with Miguel Sánchez Ibáñez, linguist and translator of Because Internet into Spanish. We talk about why Because Internet was the toughest and also most entertaining book he's ever translated (for some of the same reasons), from coming up with localized Spanish versions of vintage internet memes to making the silly names of pretend people in the example sentences just as silly in Spanish. We also talk about leaving breadcrumbs for future translators in the original text and the special challenge of translocalizing the title: Arroba Lengua isn't a literal translation of Because Internet, but it fits similarly into Spanish internet slang.
Here are the links mentioned in the episode:
Miguel Sánchez Ibáñez
Miguel Sánchez Ibáñez on Bluesky
Miguel's own pop linguistics book in Spanish, 'La (neo)lógica de las lenguas'
You can get Arroba Lengua, the Spanish translation of Because Internet at Piodepagina, Casadellibro, and other places Spanish-language books are sold (note that the ebook edition may be more readily available if you're outside Europe)
You can also get English, simplified Chinese, Japanese, and Korean copies of Because Internet here
Lingthusiasm episode ‘How translators approach a text’
Listen to this episode about translating internet slang with Miguel Sánchez Ibáñez, linguist and translator of Because Internet into Spanish, and get access to many more bonus episodes by supporting Lingthusiasm on Patreon.
I am so incredibly excited to share Miguel's thoughtful and delightful approach to translating Because Internet! If you read this or any of the translations, I would be interested in your thoughts about how the translators approach the text.
Spanish Vocabulary - juegos de rol / Roleplaying Games
Hi I'm back on my Baldur's Gate 3 BS so here we go with this. This is primarily DND related but it does apply to other fantasy games for the most part
el elfo, la elfa = elf
élfico/a = elven
el enano, la enana = dwarf
el semielfo, la semielfa = half-elf
el mediano, la mediana = halfling
el gnomo, la gnoma = gnome
[sometimes written nomo/a]
el semiorco, la semiorca = half-orc
el orco, la orca = orc
el ogro, la ogra = ogre
el osgo, la osga = bugbear
[have no idea where this word came from tbh - my guess is it came from oso/a "bear" somehow]
el humano, la humana = human
Other races that are new words or made up [like el/la tiefling] don't get translated
For whatever reason for races people use semi- as "half". Normally you'd expect medio/a (algo) "half (of something)", but semi- is of a Greek origin and it typically sees more use in fantasy races than medio/a would... similar to how semidiós / semidiosa is "demigod / demigoddess"
-
la fuerza = strength
la destreza = dexterity
la constitución = constitution [also used in the government sense]
la sabiduría = wisdom / knowledge
la inteligencia = intelligence
el carisma = charisma
el personaje = character
el trasfondo = background
el / la soldado = soldier
la intimidación = intimidation
intimidar = to intimidate
el charlatán, la charlatana = charlatan
[it can be "talker", but it usually means "charlatan" like "liar" or "deceiver"]
el engaño = deceit
engañar = to deceive
la persuasión = persuasion
persuadir = to persuade
el/la criminal = criminal
el preso, la presa = inmate / prisoner
el robo = theft
el asesinato = murder
el delito = crime
el sigilo = stealth
sigiloso/a = stealthy
el artesano, la artesana = artisan
la herramienta
el gremio = guild
el huérfano, la huérfana = orphan / "urchin"
el orfanato = orphanage
el juego de manos = sleight of hand
[lit. "play/game of hands"]
los bajos fondos = criminal underground
[lit. "the deep depths" or "the low depths"]
el ermitaño, la ermitaña = hermit
la soledad = solitude / loneliness
la medicina = medicine
la percepción = perception
el erudito, la erudita = scholar
culto/a = learned, someone with knowledge
el culto = a cult
[can be in the bad way, but it often means a specific religious devotion]
el acólito, la acólita = acolyte
devoto/a = devout
la secta = cult [usually the negative sense]
el sectario, la sectaria = cultist
el forastero, la forastera = outsider, foreigner / "outlander"
el peregrino, la peregrina = pilgrim / wanderer
el forajido, la forajida = outlaw
el/la espía = spy
el/la noble = noble
la nobleza = nobility
la realeza = royalty
el animador, la animadora = entertainer
[also the word for "cheerleader"; it comes from el ánimo "good spirits" or "cheer", so it's someone that inspires entertainment or good vibes basically]
el/la artista = artist
el músico, la música = musician
la música = music
el apostador, la apostadora = gambler
[lit. "better", apostar is "to place a bet"]
el jugador, la jugadora = gambler / player
[there isn't a specific word for "to gamble", but jugar "to play" is used often, so jugador(a) is the default word for "player" of any game but can be "gambler"]
el / la caballero = knight / "gentleman"
[the general word is el caballero masculine, but in fantasy it can be la caballero; ...this is partly because the original word meant "horseman", and was gender specific, but because there isn't a specific word for "knight" other than caballero]
el/la soldado = soldier
el espadachín, la espadachina = swordsman / swordswoman
[the root here is la espada "sword"; but espadachín is typically masculine and can be "swashbuckler" in some contexts; espadachina would be the correct feminine version]
el/la pirata = pirate
el marinero, la marinera = sailor
el maestro, la maestra = master / teacher
[it can be both "master" like a martial arts master or someone who has attained mastery of something... or a "teacher" usually for younger kids as the teacher needs to know many subjects... or it can be a teacher of music/an art the way people use "maestro"]
el/la guardia = guard
el/la centinela = sentinel
el historiador, la historiadora = historian
el experto, la experta = expert
el médico, la médica = doctor, medic
el curandero, la curandera = healer
[though not specifically chamán "shaman", the term curandero/a can imply folk medicine rather than being a medical doctor in modern contexts]
el/la matasanos = "a quack doctor"
[lit. "kills-healthy"; this is a bad doctor]
la saga = "a hag"
[in DND contexts, la saga is a "hag" - a specific magically inclined trickster woman; the word "hag" in English generally just means vieja or anciana "old woman", and people tend to use la bruja "witch" or "crone"; the origin here is that la saga when it isn't "saga" can be used as "someone who lies about having psychic/magic powers" a kind of trickster or charlatan. But in fantasy settings, la saga is now used for magical women that offer fake promises and very "be careful what you wish for" solutions to promises]
-
el bardo, la barda = bard
el instrumento = instrument
tocar un instrumento = to play an instrument
la flauta = flute
el liro = lyre
el tambor = drum
el colegio = "college"
[for the modern day setting el colegio is actually "high school"; what Americans call "college" is often la universidad "university" - but in fantasy settings people tend to use el colegio as a "group of colleagues" in a specific field]
inspirar (a alguien) = to inspire (someone)
la inspiración = inspiration
la suerte = luck
tener suerte = to be lucky
el conocimiento = knowledge/understanding
[in game this would probably be "lore"]
la espada = sword
el valor = bravery, valor
el susurro = whisper
el espíritu = spirit
la canción = song
cantar = to sing
seducir = to seduce
bailar = to dance
danzar = to dance
engatusar = "to seduce", to bewitch, to entice
-
el bárbaro, la bárbara = barbarian
la furia = rage / fury
estar en furia = "to be raging" [lit. "to be in fury"]
temerario/a = reckless
la armadura = armor
sin armadura = unarmored, without armor
la senda = path, way
el/la berserker = berserker
el guardián, la guardiana = guardian
el/la zelote = zealot
[the usual word is fanático/a but it doesn't have quite the same appeal, since it can be "fan" or "fanatic" or as an adjective "fanatical"]
la ira = rage, wrath
el enojo = anger
el frenesí = frenzy
la bestia = beast
bestial = beastly
la fiera = fiend / wild animal
feral = feral
feroz = ferocious
atroz = awful, atrocious
-
el/la druida = druid
la naturaleza = nature
el bastón = staff
la forma salvaje = wild shape
la forma = shape, form
salvaje = wild, savage
el oso, la osa = bear
el lobo, la loba = wolf
la lechuza = owl [the kind with the flatter faces]
el búho = owl
lanzar un conjuro = to cast a spell
[sometimes can be tirar instead]
el dragón = dragon
el linaje = lineage
dracónico/a = draconic
la tormenta = storm
sombrío/a = shadowy / grim, frightening / somber
la oscuridad = darkness
las tinieblas = darkness [more literary]
umbrío/a = dark, gloomy / related to darkness
psíquico/a = psychic
psiónico/a = psionic
la telequinesis = telekinesis
la telepatía = telepathy
el don = a gift, a boon
la fuente = source / fountain
el recurso = resource
la dote = qualities, ability
[the general meaning of la dote is "dowry" for marriages, but the root word dotar means "to be given" or "to be endowed with", so it can be natural gifts.... or in NSFW settings, dotado could be "well endowed"]
-
el clérigo, la clériga = cleric
el dios, la diosa = god, goddess
el dominio = dominion / realm
bendito/a = blessed, holy
maldito/a = cursed
sagrado/a = sacred, holy
divino/a = divine
la divinidad = divinity / godhood
la fe = faith
la guerra = war
la luz = light
la tempestad = tempest
la muerte = death
la vida = life
el engaño = "trickery"
el crepúsculo = twilight
sanar = to heal
sanador, sanadora = healing
curar = to heal
dañar = to harm
la oración = prayer
rezar = to pray
el santuario = sanctuary, sanctum
invocar = to summon
el/la hereje = heretic
la herejía = heresy
impío/a = impious
la piedad = piety
sin piedad = ruthless, without mercy
no practicante = no longer practicing, "lapsed"
[sometimes ex practicante; and practicante is unisex]
-
el mago, la maga = wizard
[lit. "mage", but can also be "magician" in regular context]
la magia = magic
mágico/a = magical / magic
la maestría = mastery
adiestrar = to train
la formación = (academic) training / formation
[la formación in academic settings means a specific kind of instruction or training, and I've seen it used for "bootcamp" as well]
la escuela = a school
[also "school of thought" not just the physical school]
el encanto = charm / a charm
el truco = trick
[in DND sometimes truco is "cantrip"]
disipar = to dispel / to dissipate
(el) contraconjuro = counterspell
la barrera = barrier
escudriñar = to scan, to look through, to scrutinize
[sometimes used in the language of "scrying"]
la nigromancia = necromancy
el/la nigromante = necromancer [in my experience usually nigromante as a unisex term]
el pergamino = scroll
aprender = to learn
el adrendizaje = learning / apprenticeship
enseñar = to teach / to show, to point at, to point out
la enseñanza = teaching
el sortilegio = magic [a fancier term]
otorgar = to grant, to give
mejorar = to improve
escoger = to pick
seleccionar = to pick, to select
elegir = to pick / to elect
el fuego = fire
la bola de fuego = fireball
el hielo = ice
el frío = cold
el rayo = lightning / bolt / beam
el trueno = thunder
el augurio = omen, portent
el buen augurio = good omen
el mal augurio = bad omen
el agüero = omen, portent, augur
el portento = portent, omen
el adivino, la adivina = soothsayer, seer
[from adivinar "to divine" - now used as "to guess" - but related to the field of la adivinación "divination"]
-
el explorador, la exploradora = ranger
[lit. "explorer"; a "(park) ranger" in the modern day setting is usually el/la guardabosques which is "keeps/protects forests"]
el arquero, la arquera = archer
la puntería = aim
el blanco = target
tirar = to shoot
disprar = to shoot
(el) tiro al blanco = "shooting practice", "archery"
[it's any kind of shooting, so it can be guns or archery or darts, it all depends on context]
el disparo = a shot
el arco = bow
la flecha = bow
el carcaj = quiver (of arrows)
la bala = bullet
cazar = to hunt
el cazador, la cazadora = hunter
el compañero, la compañera = companion
el acechador, la acechadora = stalker, lurker
el/la cazamonstruos = monster hunter
el/la cazavampiros = vampire hunter / vampire slayer
el/la cazamagos = mage hunter
el/la cazadiabolos = devil hunter
el/la cazadragones = dragon hunter / dragon slayer
[anything can be done with caza- as "hunts" for compound words; just note that usually mata- is the term for "slayer" but both are acceptable; as in Buffy la cazavampiros is "Buffy the Vampire Slayer"]
la presa = prey
[also la presa can be a "reservoir", and preso/a can be "imprisoned"]
el enjambre = swarm (of insects)
el alcance = reach / range
enmarañar = to tangle, to entangle
enzarzar(se) = to be tangled, to get stuck in
el/la errante = wanderer / errant
errante = wandering [as in el caballero errante is "knight errant" or "wandering knight"]
a distancia = ranged / "at a distance", "from far away"
-
el monje, la monja = monk
[again, usually if you see la monja used in a real life context it's "nun", but same idea]
el puñetazo = a punch
el camino = path, way
la senda = path, way
la mano = hand
abierto/a = open
la pierna = leg
patear = to kick
la patada = a kick
la acrobacia = acrobatics
el elemento = element
los cuatro elementos = the four elements
la ráfaga = a flurry / a burst
[or in wind it means a "strong gust" or "gale"]
borracho/a = drunk
la piedad = piety, mercy
la misericordia = mercy
la postura = posture / stance
mantenerse firme = to stand firm
dedicarse a (algo) = to do (as a vocation), to dedicate oneself to
a mano = by hand
mano a mano = hand to hand
el combate cuerpo a cuerpo = melee fighting
cuerpo a cuerpo = "hand to hand", "melee"
[lit. "body to body"]
-
el / la paladín = paladin
el juramento = oath
jurar = to swear, to make an oath
prometer = to promise
el castigo = punishment
[in DND this is "a smite"]
castigar = to punish
conquistar = to conquer
vencer = to defeat, to vanquish
canalizar = to channel
el vengador, la vengadora = avenger
vengar = to avenge (someone else)
vengarse (de) = to take revenge
vengativo/a = vengeful
el juicio = a trial / good sense, judgment
el juez / la juez, la jueza = judge
el jurado = jury
el/la verdugo = executioner
justo/a = just, fair
la justicia = justice
el justiciero, la justiciera = vigilante
[lit. "justice-maker"; someone who takes justice into their own hands]
el/la vigilante = watcher
[those that keep watch; a "vigilante" in the English sense is justiciero/a]
el baluarte = bastion
la redención = redemption
-
el guerrero, la guerrera = fighter
[lit. "warrior", or "war-person" even more literally]
luchar = to fight
[luchador(a) for "fighter" does exist; just also know it can be "wrestler", as in la lucha libre which is "wrestling"]
pelear = to fight
el campeón, la campeona = champion
el adalid = champion, "protector", "leader"
[el adalid can be "champion" of something, like someone leading a cause or "championing a cause"]
la batalla = battle
la escaramuza = skirmish
maniobrar = to maneuver
la maniobra = maneuver
el/la líder = a leader
el liderazgo = leadership
la hazaña = a deed, feat
el/la caudillo = chief, chieftain / warlord
el ejército = army
hacer añicos = to shatter
el don = a gift, a boon
la oleada = a surge, a wave
domar = to dominate / to tame
indomable = indomitable
la sangre = blood
sediento/a = thirsty
sediento/a de sangre = bloodthirsty
ensangrentado/a, sangriento/a = bloody
[usually interchangeable; it's kind of like "bloodied" or "blood-soaked" vs. "bloody" if that makes sense; ensangrentado/a means "covered in blood"]
la carnicería = carnage
[otherwise this is "a butcher's shop"; a place where carne "meat" is sold]
-
el pícaro, la pícara = rogue
el ladrón, la ladrona = thief
el/la espía = spy
el asesino, la asesina = murderer / assassin
[asesino/a is general "murderer" - but a professional one might be asesino/a profesional "hitman", or asesino/a a sueldo which is "assassin for hire", lit. "assassin for salary"]
el fantasma = ghost, phantom
[masculine noun]
la mente maestra = mastermind
el bribón, la bribona = rascal
el mentiroso, la mentirosa = liar
el disfraz = disguise
disfrazarse = to disguise oneself
el robo = robbery, theft
el hurto = theft [in a legal sense]
emboscar = to ambush
la emboscada = ambush
mortal = deadly, lethal
[or "a mortal", as in "not immortal", or "will die some day"]
el furtivo, la furtiva = poacher, illegal hunter
furtivo/a = clandestine, sneaky
escurridizo/a = slippery / evasive
asustadizo/a = skittish, easily scared
el sigilo = stealth
sigiloso/a = stealthy
agacharse = to duck, to crouch
esconderse = to hide (oneself)
el ataque furtivo = sneak attack
-
el brujo, la bruja = warlock
[el brujo is "warlock", but you're more likely to hear la bruja translated as "witch"]
el pacto = pact, agreement, "a deal"
el alma = soul
[technically feminine, but takes masculine articles in singular]
el diablo = devil
la diablesa = devil [female]
el amo = master [as in owner]
el ama = mistress [as in owner; technically feminine but takes masculine articles in singular]
el patrón, la patrona = patron
el hada = fairy / fey
[technically feminine but takes masculine articles in singular; in this particular case you may see la archihada "archfey"]
feérico/a = fairy [adj], fairy-like, related to the fey
antiguo/a = ancient / antique
el infierno = inferno / hell
infernal = infernal, hellish
oscuro/a = dark
el abismo = abyss
el maleficio = hex
[also another word for "spell", but maleficio tends to imply that it causes harm]
el filo = blade
el tomo = tome
la cadena = chain
la descarga = blast, discharge, surge (of energy)
sobrenatural = supernatural
[in the DND world this is usually the word for "eldritch"; thus la descarga sobrenatural is "eldritch blast"]
muerto/a = dead
no muerto = undead
los muertos = the dead
los muertos vivientes = the living dead
el peaje = a toll
[as in "something you pay for crossing a road/bridge" etc.]
el regalo = gift
el obsequio = gift [fancier]
el genio = genie, djinn
[otherwise el genio means "genius"]
encantado/a = enchanted / haunted
embrujado/a = bewitched / haunted
atormentado/a = tormented, anguished
la deuda = debt
Conditions
derribar = to knock down, to knock over
derribado/a = knocked down, on the ground / "prone"
aturdir = to bewilder, to daze
aturdido/a = dazed
encantar = to enchant, to bewitch
encantar(le) = to really like
encantado/a = enchanted / very happy
petrificar = to petrify, to turn to stone
petrificado/a = petrified
[just like English it can be "turned to stone" or colloquially "terrified"]
asustar = to scare, to frighten
asustado/a = frightened, scared, afraid
aterrar = to terrify
aterrado/a = terrified, afraid, frightened
sorprender = to surprise
sorprendido/a = surprised
envenenar = to poison
envenenado/a = poisoned
dormir = to sleep
dormirse = to fall asleep
dormido/a = asleep
apresar = to restrain, to seize / to apprehend
apresado/a = restrained, apprehended
mojar = to make wet
mojado/a = wet
empapar = to soak
empapado/a = soaked
congelar = to freeze
congelado/a = frozen
helar = to freeze / to make cold, to chill
helado/a = icy / chilled / frozen
el cansancio = exhaustion
cansado/a = tired
fatigar = to fatigue, to exhaust
fatigado/a = fatigued, exhausted
paralizar = to paralyze
paralizado/a = paralyzed
amenazar = to threaten
amenazado/a = threatened
agarrar = to grab, to take hold of
agarrado/a = grabbed / "grappled" (DND terms)
[agarrar lit. means "to hold in claws/clutches"; but it's a standard word for "to grab" especially for Latin America - because Spain's word coger can be used in some countries, but in many it has a very sexual meaning]
cegar = to blind
cegado/a = blinded
ciego/a = blind
silenciar = to silence, to mute
silenciado/a = silenced
[mudo/a is "mute" or "unable to speak", or you may see acallado/a from acallar "to hush" or "to quiet"]
ensordecer = to deafen
ensordecido/a = deafened
sordo/a = deaf
morir = to die
muriendo = dying
muerto/a = dead
sanar = to heal
sanado/a = healed
curar = to cure / to heal
curado/a = cured, healed
inconsciente = unconscious
Weapons & Armor
el arma = weapon
[technically feminine but takes masculine articles in singular]
la espada = sword
el filo = blade
el estoque = rapier
el escudo = shield
la armadura = armor
el yelmo = helmet
la coraza = breastplate
la lanza = spear / lance
la pica = pike
la jabalina = javelin
la alabarda = halberd
la guja = glaive
la hoz = sickle
la guadaña = scythe
el lucero = morningstar
[lit. "light-bringer" but it means both the "morning star" or a mace with spikes on it]
la daga = dagger
el puñal = dagger
[lit. "(held in) the fist"]
el cuchillo = knife
el martillo = hammer
el mazo = mallet
la almádena = sledgehammer
la maza = mace
el garrote = club
el bastón = staff
[it's also the word for "a cane" for people who need help walking; same idea]
el arco = bow
la flecha = arrow
el carcaj = quiver (of arrows)
el hacha = ax, axe
[technically feminine but takes masculine articles in singular; in some very specific contexts el hacha can also mean "candle"]
la antorcha = torch
el tridente = trident
golpear = to hit
pegar = to strike, to hit
dar un puñetazo = to punch
[sometimes people use golpear or pegar for "punch"; it's just those are the default words for hitting someone]
patear = to kick
la patada = a kick
acuchillar = to stab
[lit. "to knife"]
el acuchillado = a stab / a stabbing / a stabbing motion
apuñalar = to stab
[lit. "to stab with a dagger"]
la puñalada = a stab
tajar = to slash, to slice
el tajo = a slash
cortar = to cut
el corte = a cut
[unrelated but la corte is "court" like a legal court, or where you play tennis or basketball etc]
aporrear = to bludgeon
aplastar = to crush / to smash
dar (la/una) paliza = to give a beating
machacar = to beat up / to smash, to pummel
ensartar = to skewer
atravesar = to pierce / to cleave
[lit. it means "to go through" so this is "pierce" but as if the weapon went all the way through]
abatir = to knock down, to defeat / to smite
partir = to cut in half / to split
romper = to break
quebrar = to smash, to break
matar = to kill
asesinar = to murder
saquear = to loot / to raid, to pillage, to sack
atacar = to attack
defender = to defend
proteger = to protect
bloquear = to block
evitar = to avoid
evadir = to evade, to dodge
esquivar = to dodge
fallar = to miss, to not hit / to fail
Note that acuchillar and apuñalar are largely the same; the origin is "knife" vs "dagger" but they both come out as "to stab". Though for the record if it's something like "to stab in the back", that's usually apuñalar
-
la ventaja = advantage
la desventaja = disadvantage
aprovechar(se) de = to take advantage of / to make use of
la cobertura = coverage
el escondite = hiding place / hideout
[unrelated - jugar al escondite is "to play hide and seek", so el escondite in context can mean the game of hide and seek]
la guarida = lair, den
[usually "lair" for villains, and "den" for an animal; but both are also used for "hiding place" or "secret lair" kind of scenarios too]
el castillo = castle
el pueblo = town
el poblado = settlement
la aldea = village, small town, hamlet
la ciudad = city
el campo = countryside / campus, field
el cofre = chest
el arca = large chest / ark
[technically feminine; takes masculine articles in singular]
el baúl = trunk, large chest
la caja = box
el paisaje = landscape
la montaña = mountain
la sierra = mountain range
[or in tools it's "a saw"; serrar "to saw" extends to both of these, as la sierra for a mountain range is
el desierto = desert
el yermo = wasteland, barrens
el bosque = forest, woods
la selva = forest
la costa = coast
la orilla = shore
la cueva = cave
la mazmorra = dungeon
el/la duende = goblin
[assorted meanings in Spanish; duende is "goblin", "hobgoblin", sometimes "gnome" or "leperchaun"... generally an earth/forest spirit, but it can have some other meanings too, usually related to a spirit or poltergeist; Spanish is just limited in vocabulary when it comes to some folklore, so if you see duende it generally means "small earth/forest spirit" of some kind]
tener duende = "to be inspired", "in the zone", "in their element"
[this is a very important side meaning and I wouldn't include it here except that this is very much not goblin related; tener duende is used for people that are "in the zone" or who are doing such a good job it's as if something is working through them - the idea is almost like being possessed by a muse; many Spanish expressions like this imply it's something happening to your body/spirit, not something you are specifically doing like tener genio or tener ángel; there are a handful of expressions like this. But tener duende is usually used in the context of performing arts, dancing, singing... something almost "otherworldly" or sometimes "godly" as if you have something working through you]
el cadáver = corpse, dead body, cadaver
el fantasma = ghost
[a masculine noun]
el espectro = specter
la voluta = wisp
el fuego fatuo = will-o-wisp
el ser = a being
estar vivo/a = to be alive
estar muerto/a = to be dead
el zombi = zombie [plural is los zombis; can be feminine but usually masculine]
el monstruo = monster
el murciélago = bat
el mimético = a mimic / copycat
[mimético/a means "something that mimics/imitates" - but in lots of fantasy or sci-fi, mimético refers to a "mimic" like the monster in a treasure chest or something that pretends to be something else; this is related to el mimo "mime"]
la sirena = mermaid / siren
[la sirena can be "siren" as in mythology or the actual siren like a police siren or ambulance; also in mythology la sirena comes out as "mermaid" - the idea is generally a female spirit related to either air or water, usually with a hypnotic voice]
el minotauro = minotaur
la esfinge = sphinx
el sabueso = hound, bloodhound
[another word for "dog", but el sabueso is usually a large hunting dog with a good sense of smell; sometimes used for people like detectives or "bloodhound"]
la momia = mummy
la arpía = harpy
el/la cambiaformas = shapeshifter
el demonio = demon
el diablillo = imp, "little devil"
el/la azotamentes = mindflayer
[this is the standard translation - lit. "scourges-minds"; azotar or azotear is "to whip" or "lash"... the specific word for "to flay" is desollar which is "to remove the skin"; but in Spanish at least it's "lashes-minds" or "ravages-minds"]
Also note that "illithid" is usually ilícido in translation; it's a new-ish word only used in specific DND settings
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Jonathan Stalling’s Yingelishi is a book of poetry that is read in two ways: in Chinese and in English. He offers a line of English poetry, then rewrites it phonetically in the Chinese language, so that the new line in Chinese has its own unique and coherent meaning, which is then translated back into English. The end result is a poem existing in multiple languages and in no languages at all, with multiple meanings that can be read many ways.
[Image ID: A line that reads, “早上好” which is Simplified Chinese for “good morning.” Then a line of English text that reads, “good morning,” followed by a line of pinyin or possibly a different method of transliterated Chinese that reads, “gũ dé mào níng.” Then a line of Chinese characters which reads, “孤德貌宁,” phonically the same as the above pinyin, followed by a line of English text which is the translation of the above Chinese, reading, “Even alone, the moral one / appears peaceful.” End image ID.]
When read aloud, YÍNGĒLÌSHI (pronounced yeen guh lee shr) sounds like an accented pronunciation of the word “English,” while the Chinese reader sees the Chinese characters for “chanted songs, beautiful poetry.” Stalling coined this term (and “Sinophonic English”) to give a positive name to an increasingly widespread variation of English created by combining the two dominant languages of globalization (Mandarin Chinese and English). With over 350 million English speakers in China (more than there are Americans alive) many of whom speak English by recombining existing Chinese sounds into English words and sentences, this new hybrid language is already overwhelmingly present, yet its aesthetic potential has not yet been explored. Stalling’s book complicates any easy dismissal of so-called Chinglish by creating a genuinely uncanny poetry written entirely in Sinophonic English. Stalling rewrites a common English phrasebook into hauntingly beautiful Chinese poetry (which is all translated into English) that when sung, becomes an uncannily accented libretto, a story of a Chinese tourist’s one-way journey into this interstitial language and its sonorous, if disastrous, consequences.
I’m reminded of how Ilan Stavans, the editor of The People’s Tongue (an excellent collection of writings about/examples of American English) translated the first chapter of Don Quixote into Spanglish because some radio host or something said “I will respect Spanglish when it can produce something on par with Don Quixote”
studying latin and being a little freak about it is so much fun because you can have a million sources open to crossreference all for the sake of figuring out one kind of naughty word. these are all my tabs from trying to figure out how to say cuck btw
Confessions of en Språknörd @spraknerdery - Tumblr Blog | Tumlook
