El Paraguas

Question

Why is the word Paraguas plural and not singular?

Por qué es la palabra Paraguas plural no es singular?

Interesting discussion :) - Joydeep_Singh, Oct 17, 2015

Answer 1

Bosque is almost 100% correct.

"Para" here is from the verb "parar" to stop. So "paraguas" = stop waters or an English speaker would probably say "water stopper"

Parabrisas-- the same thing. Stop breezes. Or breeze stopper.

Thanks, I will fix it. - bosquederoble, Oct 16, 2015

Of course now Julian has posted something that includes my original explanation. :D - bosquederoble, Oct 16, 2015

As I note below- I still like your derivation best. :) - bosquederoble, Oct 16, 2015

Answer 2

Because it is a compund noun ... which is a combination of the verb "parar = to stop" and the noun "agua" ... and though agua stand alone is usualy used as a singular but in the case of compound nouns the noun part of the compound version is used in plural .. for example the compound noun "abrelatas" .. which forms from the combination of the verb abrir and the noun latas (cans) ..literally meaning .. open the cans (a can opener).. similarly " el paraguas" (what stops the waters )

These compound nouns are always masculine, and the plural is formed by changing the "el" to "los."el abrelatas los abrelatas el paraguas los paraguas

You got yours in 14 seconds before I did. ♥ - Daniela2041, Oct 16, 2015

hahaha .. Yes Dani, and bosque ran us over by 4 minutes ., hehe - Joydeep_Singh, Oct 16, 2015

Answer 3

El paraguas is singular

Los paraguas is plural

It is a composite word from para plus aguas. for the purpose of stops waters.

Some other composite words are similar in ending in an s, and having the same plural form as the singular.

el parabrisas- for the purpose of stops breezes

el abrelatas- opens cans

el sacacorchos - takes out corks

English has words where the normal plural is the same as the singular- think deer, sheep, and fish for example, which if you actually pluralize become types of the items.

Thanks the "s" at the end got me thinking it was plural, - Rozalyn01581, Oct 16, 2015

Answer 4

"Okay I think you misunderstood my question. The word umbrella is El Paraguas right? Why does it look like it's pluaral if it's singular?"

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Among grammarians these expressions might not be considered grammatically correct, but this is how they are used. The article doesn´t really represent the purpose in the phrase but the thing that serves the purpose, ie: El parasol (El aparato para el sol) Los parasoles (Los aparatos para el sol) El parabrisas (El aparato o cristal para las brisas) Los parabrisas (Los aparatos o cristales para las brisas).

Hmmm, yours is back to my original para to mean for the purpose of, rather than para from parar to means stops. Interesting. I knew I had seen it that way somewhere. :D - bosquederoble, Oct 16, 2015

I'm sticking with the way I learned it--from my Spanish professor in college. (Era español, de Madrid) - Daniela2041, Oct 16, 2015

Well the parar derivation does make more sense to me once pointed out- you do notice I did not switch my post back. So I like your way better. I was just pointing out that I didn't make up the other way on my own. ;) - bosquederoble, Oct 16, 2015

I just noticed that I forgot a word in the given examples. It should be in meaning "El aparato para parar ........." , so both Dani and Bosque are right. But in other cases,ie: "El sacacorchos" - "El aparato para sacar corchos" / "El abrelatas" - ........ - 005faa61, Oct 17, 2015

.............. "El aparato para abir latas" - 005faa61, Oct 17, 2015

Don't get confused my friends, it is parar plus aguas ,, as Dani said .. please check this link out - Joydeep_Singh, Oct 17, 2015

http://spanishtutor-onlinenet.blogspot.in/2013/10/paraguas.html - Joydeep_Singh, Oct 17, 2015

Answer 5

This post is interesting and has inspired me to invent a new device called "El Parachicas" to put the girls at bay and stop them from Distracting me when I am studdying Spanish .. may be something with a strong Onion stench .. hahahahahahaha

Answer 6

http://spanishtutor-onlinenet.blogspot.in/2013/10/paraguas.html

This link may be useful, I just googled it up .. I see the interesting discussion happening between my friends Bosque, JC and Dani .. in my humble opinion ,, a compound verb is always formed with a combination of a verb (which describes the action our subject or object does) and a simple noun (which is the object of that action) for example .. sacacorchos .. means sacar (take out ) the corchos (the corks) .. and abrelatas means abrir (open up) the latas (the cans) likewise abrebotellas means ..open up the bottles (a bottle opener) .. similarly el paraguas means parar (stop) the aguas (the waters) .. a water stopper ( an umbrella) ...

Please check out this link ..

As far as it being used in plural is concerned it does sound and seem eccentric as water or agua is a non-countable noun .. as opposed to countable ones like "latas" (in abrelatas) , botellas (in abrebotellas) etc. I know aguas doesnt make much sense as it is a non-countable noun ..but perhaps they just made it so just to maintain consistency between all such compound nouns ..

Does it make sense now ??

Answer 7

Okay I think you misunderstood my question. The word umbrella is El Paraguas right? Why does it look like it's pluaral if it's singular?

Possibly because it stops all the waters that might fall on it. - ian-hill, Oct 16, 2015

Joydeep explains it in his answer. :) - bosquederoble, Oct 16, 2015

No, we did not misunderstand your question ,, kindly read my answer ., it is Parar plus Aguas .. Stop the waters .. .. please read my answer - Joydeep_Singh, Oct 16, 2015

That is how the compound nouns are formed in spanish ,, u can take the example of el abrelatas ... it is an instrument which opens the cans (not a single can) - Joydeep_Singh, Oct 16, 2015

@Roz: Compound words like this are both singjlar and plural, as Joydeep says. - Daniela2041, Oct 16, 2015