Hispanism
- noun
- /ˈhɪspəˌnɪzəm/
- Specialized
:
hispanismo
- The word 'siesta' is a well-known Hispanism used in many languages.
Examples
-
Expressions such as 'por favor' and 'gracias' are examples of Hispanisms used in everyday English.
-
The tradition of eating tapas is a cultural Hispanism adopted in several countries.
-
Many American cities have names that are Hispanisms reflecting Spanish influence.
-
The term Hispanism refers to influences from Spanish culture.
-
Many Hispanisms have entered the English language over the years.
-
The word 'bodega' is a common Hispanism that describes a corner store in urban areas.
-
In the United States, many meals often feature Hispanisms like 'quesadilla' and 'taco.'
Synonyms
39
4.7
A word taken from another language and used in the new language
A word or custom borrowed from Spanish and used in another language
Surface Forms
Morphology
Hispanism = Hispanic (semi-transparent) = hispan + ism
Built from 'Hispanic' + '-ism' to mean items influenced by Spanish; the narrower sense 'a borrowed word or phrase' is a specialist lexical sense that may not be obvious to B1 learners.
Etymology
Hispanism is built from Hispan- 'Spain' and -ism 'a thing from or related to', and a helpful way to remember this sense is that it names Spanish words or customs used in other languages. That's why a word like 'siesta' or a place name from Spanish is called a Hispanism.