RAE

Question

El yogur (también conocido como yogurt, yoghurt o yoghourt, aunque estas son grafías no favorecidas por la RAE)[1]

Does this word grafías mean words or spellings? And what is the RAE'

Answer 1

Kill two birds with one URL:

http://www.rae.es/rae.html

Answer 2

"Grafías" means different ways of writting the same word (regardless of whether they are standard or not).

The RAE means the Real Academia Española, an royal institution initially created to regulate the Spanish language, imitating the Italian and French academies. Nowadays they only provide advice on how words should be spelled, proper grammar, etc. Although not everyone follows their guidelines (they don't have to), schools, universities, publishers, and most academic writtings generally do. The dictionary they publish is considered by most as the ultimate reference, although it is not the most useful for all purposes, nor it provides usage notes, so there are many other good alternatives.

There are actually 22 academies nowadays, in Mexico, Colombia, Argentina, Guatemala, USA... These academies now work together improving the dictionary, and they are about to release a single grammar agreed by all countries, taking into account regional variations in the language. The idea is to keep the language as standarized and united as possible.

Answer 3

Answer 4

Hi Lazurus... so grafías means more like spelling.

More or less, yes, but it is a word that sounds too technical. If you stop someone in the street and ask "¿Podría decirme cuál es la grafía de esta palabra'" you'll probably scare them, hehe. We'd just ask "¿Cómo se escribe esta palabra'"

But from her I've learned to soften my "'b's"". More live V. That's the way she spells bién - with a V.

Writing has one t, but written has two, and for some reason I tend to misspell both if I don't pay attention. The B and the V have the same sounds, so I am not surprised that they write "vien".

Answer 5

Hi Lazurus... so grafías means more like spelling. Thanks. When I lived in El Paso TX, I had a bad time trying to get help spelling a word when I didn't understand it spoken. I suspect there is no word for spelling. My Mexican American neighbor spells her Spanish words every which way. But from her I've learned to soften my "'b's"". More live V. That's the way she spells bién - with a V.

I appreciate your explanation of the RAE and others. Thanks

BTW nor it provides usage notes, I think you meant nor does it provide usage notes And I spell escribiendo like this: writing

Answer 6

Aviso

La palabra grafías no está en el Diccionario.