Pronunciation of Adapted Words
Have you ever come across a word in Spanish, like tuitear(tweet), and thought “I bet I know what that means!” The word looks familiar, but not exactly like the word you know from another language. You’re probably looking at an adapted loanword! These are words that Spanish has taken and made its own, adapting them more towards Spanish spelling or grammar.
Since they have been adapted to better fit Spanish grammar or spelling rules, their pronunciation is straightforward. You simply pronounce them as if you were reading any other word in Spanish!
Not all of the words that Spanish adopts from English have adapted spelling! Check out our article on English loanwords in Spanish to learn more.
Adapted Words in Spanish
So, what’s an adapted word? An adapted word, or adapted loanword, is a word that one language has taken from another and modified to fit its own spelling or grammar structures, thus making the word easier to use for native speakers of said language.
Although this article focuses exclusively on adapted words taken from English, Spanish has taken words from many other languages, including Arabic (Spain) and Indigenous languages (Central and South America). After all, these are the languages that Spanish has had the most contact with throughout the years! Check out our article on loanwords in Spanish to learn more.
Let’s check out some adapted words in Spanish!
Technology
Due to the speed at which technology develops and its international scope, it’s almost inevitable that foreign loanwords for technology make their way into other languages. Spanish is no stranger to the use of English loanwords about technology! Here are a few examples of English technology-related loanwords.
Is technology your thing? You need this article about how to text in Spanish!
Sports
The world of sports is another field in which many loanwords have been adapted. In Spain, soccer was greatly influenced by the English in the beginning. You can see this influence in the names of teams like Athletic Bilbao, Racing Santander, and Sporting Gijón!
Here are just a few of the sports-related adapted loanwords that Spanish has adopted and made its own:
Looking for more vocab about sports? Check out this article, chock-full of soccer and football terms. You’ll also love this article, which teaches you how to cheer for your favorite team in Spanish!
Fashion
Fashion is no stranger to adapted loanwords. Check out these words that have been adopted and adapted by Spanish! Note that, due to the French language’s influence in the world of fashion, there seem to be far more adapted loanwords taken from French than English.
| Spanish | English | Spanish Alternative |
|---|---|---|
| bléiser | blazer | americana |
| blonda | blonde lace | encaje |
| chor | shorts | pantalón corto |
| glamur | glamor | - |
| licra | Lycra | - |
| nailon | Nylon | - |
Can’t get enough of the fashion vocab? Check out our article and lessons on fashion and shopping!
Al fin y al cabo(At the end of the day) it’s not difficult to pronounce these adapted loanwords. The fact that they have been adapted to Spanish spelling or grammar conventions allows you to visually get a clear idea about how you must pronounce each term! Just read each term following Spanish pronunciation rules.
Looking for more articles about Spanish and its interaction with other languages? Take a look at these articles!
