Morphing in Two Languages

by Margaret Fleming

As a person interested in language, I always notice similarities and differences between Spanish and English as I go back and forth between Mexico and the U.S.

Many words are identical in written form and meaning in both languages, even though they may be pronounced differently. Some of these we have borrowed from each other; others came from the same Latin root. Here are a few:

area

casino

extra

hotel

municipal

salon

vista

Another group of words is called cognates. They have the same root and mean the same thing, but their form is slightly different in English and Spanish. Most of them, however, look enough alike that their meaning can easily be understood. They often have cognates in other languages too, such as French and Italian.

construcción      construction

contrato                        contract

costa                coast

fruta                  fruit

lista                  list

oficina               office

presidente         president

servicio             service

terreno              terrain

Beware of false cognates. These are words that have come from the same root and seem as if they ought to mean the same thing in Spanish as they do in English. But, somehow along the road of linguistic development they turned away from each other and now have different meanings. A "revision" is something we do in English on a piece of writing before we hand it in, but if you are stopped at the border for a "revision," they won't ask to see anything you have written. Instead they will search your trunk for guns and ammunition. A sign I've seen in Sonoyta orders motorists not to "destruye los señales." It sounds like they're telling you not to destroy the signal lights, but it really means "Don't disobey the signs." Here are some other false cognates:

competencia      competition

compromiso      promise

deposito            beer outlet

destruye            disobey

realizar              finalize

revision             inspection

If you go to a deposito during Election Weekend, you can deposit your bottles but won't be able to buy any beer. The laws won't permit it, and you mustn't "destruye las leyes."  Candidates for office may or may not have competence, but they are engaged in competencia and have made many compromisos to the electorate. After taking office they may make compromises also.

An interesting phenomenon I've noticed lately is a class of words I'll call isomorphs. That means they have the same form--they look the same in print. But they have entirely different meanings in English and in Spanish. How many of you have seen a window sticker on the back window of Mexican cars that orders you in large capital letters to LEER. A bit disconcerting till you realize that it's probably a teacher advising people to read. Or have you ever seen ALTO in big white letters on a red sign at the corner of a street and had the impulse to shout, "No, I'm a soprano," or "I'm a tenor"? Or have you been puzzled when Mexican friends tell you to consult "la Red"? It's got nothing to do with color; it's what Mexicans call the Internet.

Here are some isomorphs I've collected, together with their meanings in Spanish.

alto                   high, halt

arena                sand

come                he/she eats

con                   with

dice                  he/she says

el                      he, the

fin                     end

fines                 ends

fresco               fresh

hacienda           Hacienda is the Mexican equivalent of IRS.

hay                   there is

he                     I have (as auxiliary)

leer                   read

mar                   sea

mares               seas

memo               Memo is a nickname for Guillermo.

mire                  look (imperative)

opera                he/she operates

pan                   bread

pared                wall

real                   royal

red                    network

sale                  he/she leaves

sea                   let it be

Sean                 let them be

sin                    without

solo                  only

soy                   I am

tale                   such

taller                 workshop

tire                    throw (imperative)

van                   they go

You can make up a game I call "mixed doubles" using isomorphs.

Dice no dice. (She says "no dice.")

Es sin sin. (He is without sin.)

Van en a van. (They go in a van.)

Soy soy. (I am a soybean.)

Come, come. (Come--he is eating.)

Mire al mire (Look at the bog.)

Es real real. (She is a real royal.)

Hay hay. (There is hay there.)

Sale del sale. (She leaves the sale.)

No tire el tire. (Don't throw the tire.)

Hay pan en pan. (There's bread in the pan.)

El mar no mar la casa. (The sea doesn't damage the house.)

Memo mandó un memo a Hacienda sobre la hacienda de su cliente. (Memo sent a memo to Hacienda about his client's hacienda.)

Well, enough of this linguistic chatter. El fin is at the end.