Is there a case for "el satnav"?

Question

I've just discovered "el sistema de posicionamiento global" in Lesson 4.11 Flashcards.

I'm wondering if I really have to learn that? I have this sneaky feeling that Spanish speakers might just say "el satnav" or something a little more concise at least.

Can someone 'in the know' enlighten me please?

Answer 1

El diccionario Panhispánico de Dudas de la RAE está considerando como aceptado las palabras

"marqitin" for "marketing"
"parquin" for "parking"

"sexapil" for "sex-appeal"

Ya han passado

"espónser" for sponsor

"cederrón" for CD-ROM ( Compact Disc - Read Only Memory)

So I guess anything is possible.

Answer 2

Hi Heidita - it's UK techno slang for 'Satellite Navigation System'. Very popular things in the UK; usually Tom-Tom or Garmin Nuvi. Known throughout the UK as a 'SatNav'; I just wondered whether the rest of the world might have 'borrowed' our abbreviation!

How are things in Madrid?

Here in the Northeastern U.S. we generally call the Tom-Tom and Garmin systems "GPS." I've never heard the term "SatNav." - --Mariana--, Oct 30, 2009

GPS is used in the UK too, as a more formal abbreviation. - Jespa, Oct 30, 2009

If it's SatNav in England, in Spanish has to be the same. - ismarodri_uy, Oct 30, 2009

How did Jespa get gps in capitals - I get a warning about using capitals - "gps" = Global Positioning System - ian-hill, Oct 30, 2009

Answer 3

Sorry, jespa, what is satnav? I don't even know what that means.

How do you get from one place to another in Madrid Heidi? lol - ian-hill, Oct 30, 2009

Answer 4

Hola Moe,

Gracias por su respuesta. Después de escribir 'SatNav' en Wikipedia encontré así:

Global navigation satellite system From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (Redirected from Satnav)

Por tanto Wikipedia comprende 'SatNav'.

Pero también, descubrí esto;

"La realidad es que en español todo el mundo usa "GPS" para denominar a este sistema concreto y no "sistema de posicionamiento global" que parece una descripción genérica."

Marianne tenía razón!

Answer 5

¡Hola!, Jespe:

Ve esta página de "Wikipedia"

NAVSTAR-GPS

Recuerdos,

Moe

Answer 6

I am not a native speaker but I am sure that words like "satnav" are commonly used by Spanish speakers. With millions of Latinos living in the States, many English words have crept into the Spanish language.