LAS LENGUAS INGLESA Y ESPAÑOLA de Delfín Carbonell

 De origen incierto, en parte debido a su temprana proscripción en los registros escritos, lo que retrasó su aparición en los diccionarios hasta época relativamente reciente. A pesar de su uso común y cotidiano, la palabra fuck , también conocida como the F-word en círculos puritanos, ha sido relegada, prohibida y a menudo ninguneada. La falta de un verbo neutro en inglés que abarque todos sus matices ha favorecido la proliferación de numerosos eufemismos para evitarla, tales como to make love, to sleep with, to have sex, to have relations with, to have intercourse , etc. El lexicógrafo Tony Thorne, en The Dictionary of Contemporary Slang , señala: “The most commonly used four-letter word, used intransitively ( let’s fuck ) and transitively ( he fucked her/him ).” Veamos algunos ejemplos de uso: 1. Verbo (sentido literal): Jack and Mary are having a quick fuck in the kitchen. Mary’s boyfriend wants to fuck her all the time. 2. Interjección / exclamación (similar a damn o hell ): ...

 My Random House Dictionary defines pun as "the humorous use of a word or phrase so as to emphasize or suggest its different meanings or applications, or the use of words that are alike or nearly alike in sound but different in meaning; a play on words." The tallest building in town is the Library because it has thousands of stories , is a good example of one.  Pun, as a word, is common currency in colloquial English, but its Spanish equivalent is not. The average native speaker will not recognize the word retruécano , as the equivalent of pun. It is easier to say juego de palabras, although punning is part of everyday language. Let me give you a few examples and see if you can crack them: - El médico le dijo al director del seminario que él también hacía curas.  -La nariz le dijo al pañuelo al encontrarse con él: me suenas. -A mi hijo la única fruta que le asusta es el coco. - Un gato le preguntó a una pistola cómo estaba su gatillo. -La leche le dijo al café que la...

  SOMETIME, SOME TIME Sometime significa alguna vez, algún momento, y es adverbio, Come visit me sometime , ven a verme alguna vez. También antiguo, my uncle was a sometime doctor at that hospital , mi tío fue antiguo médico de ese hospital. Some time , dos palabras, significa un tiempo no definido, algo de tiempo: You will need some time to go over these papers , necesitarás algo de tiempo para repasar estos papeles. Some time ago , hace algún tiempo. 

  It is commonly estimated that about 45 percent of English vocabulary is Latin in origin. This makes the Romance languages, in a manner of speaking, second cousins to English, and an advantage for understanding more formal or learned registers. There is, however, a caveat, and we must tread carefully before rushing into translation or interpretation. Consider two examples. The Latin appositus gives English apposite , meaning ‘fit’ or ‘suitable’, while in Spanish the same root yields apósito , ‘dressing’ or ‘bandage’. Likewise, Latin nescius (‘ignorant’) eventually became English nice , whereas in Spanish it retains its original sense in necio , ‘silly’ or ‘foolish’. These may seem quaint developments, but they are worth bearing in mind—especially for the more pedantic among bilingual students of communication. 

My research is limited and personal. No secretary to double-check, no team to gather information, no extensive research. But I have a bit of experience and a nose for language fluctuations. And of late, I have detected that too many different levels of Artificial Intelligence are spoiling the language broth and reshaping it. Too many "intelligence" have their fingers in the pie and they are messing it up.  We cannot conclude yet that translations are no longer a problem. Many rely on AI translations, believing they offer a true copy, an authentic language equivalent of the original.  As far as language is concerned, AI will not admit its inability to deliver either an answer or a translation. When unable to render an idiom from, say, English into Spanish, it will make up a translation, thus inventing new expressions or idioms.  AI will admit a mistake only when confronted, and still will offer far-fetched alternatives.  I posit that AI is thus reshaping language arti...

  Say with an edge / Decir algo con rintintín (retintín) The English expression to say something with an edge conveys a tone sharpened by irony, irritation, or subtle hostility. Its Spanish counterpart, decir algo con rintintín (or retintín ), captures much the same nuance: a remark tinged with intention, often suggestive, mocking, or faintly malicious. Examples: David answered the question with an edge. David ha contestado a la pregunta con retintín. “The woman asks with accented English, now with an edge to her voice.” Pam Jenoff, A Hidden Affair (2010) “Y añadió con retintín: ‘Eres apuesto, sí, pero bajito.’” Terenci Moix, El arpista ciego (2002) In both languages, the emphasis lies not on what is said, but on how it is said: tone becomes meaning. The Spanish retintín often leans toward irony or sly provocation, while the English edge may range from mild sharpness to open annoyance. In either case, the speaker’s intention cuts just beneath the surface of the words.