telefónica vs. telefono

Question

Telefono is much closer in English to telephone so I prefer to use it but when is telefónica used (so that I may be more sophisticated)?

Answer 1

First of all, telefónica doesn't mean teléfono, it's an adjective for all the things related to "teléfono", like in:

• Phone card: Tarjeta telefónica- -Phone line: Linea telefónica-
• Telephone directory: Directorio telefónico

I thought that there was a translation something like "Telephonic" or "Telephonical", but it seems that there's not such translation.

Sorry, I think in English first never realizing it is an adjective because in English an adjective relating to telephone is still telephone, unlike in Spanish it is distinctive. Thanks anyway. - babalou, Jan 20, 2011

Telephone is a noun and rarely used verb but not an adjective, telephonic is your adjective, or telephony if you suspect some kind of imitation is going on... - afowen, Jan 20, 2011

I never heard telephonic interview, simply telephone interview. - babalou, Jan 20, 2011

Yeah, it is not so commonly used. In your above example, telephone is a noun. You'll likely only hear the adjective in technical use or if someone is being theatrical - I'm suffering a telephonic deficit - I have lost my cell phone. Things like that... - afowen, Jan 20, 2011

Answer 2

Telephonic is fine - of or pertaining to telephones or telephony.

An example from great literature:

'Pardon my tardiness vicar, much to my chagrin I suffered a brief, yet painless, telephonic interruption'.

Elizabeth Bennet from Jane Austin's Pride and Prejudice.