Estandar in The Etymology of Words

The Spanish word “estandar” (“standard”) is an Anglicism, which implies that its source language is English. The example of “estandar” speaks to the fact that words are not incorporated into foreign languages exactly as they are. Instead, they undergo modifications in spelling and pronunciation to reflect the linguistic conventions of the target language. For example, no words in Spanish start with “st”; instead, the vowel “e” tends to precede the “st” sound, as in the words “estudiar” (to study) and “estrella” (star). In addition, when a word ends in two consonants, Spanish speakers do not pronounce the final consonant. When we consider these observations, we can understand why “standard” has been changed to “estandar” in the Spanish language.

Novela
The Spanish word “novela” (novel) comes from Italian and probably originated in the 15th or 16th century. When we compare the Spanish version to its Italian counterpart, “novella”, we notice a slight alteration in spelling. This change was made in order to preserve pronunciation, since the double “l” in Spanish sounds much like the English “y”. During the Renaissance, when Italy was a hotbed of intellectual and aesthetic innovation, several Italian words were added to the Spanish vocabulary. Among these Italian loanwords are “opera” (opera), “soneto” (sonnet), “balcon” (balcony), and others.

Last updated April 27, 2020