Vocabulary: Unique regional vocabulary
As you know- and certainly will have checked- in Spanish there are terms and expressions that vary from place to place. And we are not just talking about one country to another, but also between different regions. You don’t believe us? We will give you some examples of some terms that are exclusive to different Spanish locations.
- Apoquinar (to cough up): In old Castile, this verb referred to making a required payment begrudgingly, like when a bet has been lost, or tax needed to be paid.
- Avío: In La Mancha this word refers to the utensils needed to perform a task, such as carpentry tools.
- Escachuflar: Another Word from La Mancha; this verb means “to break” or “to crush”. So something can be “escachuflado” whether it is a broken computer or a soufflé that hasn’t risen in the oven.
- Fulero: In Aragon, a “fulero” is a liar or a talkative person. It can also be used to describe something useless. Be careful or they will call you a “fulero”.
- Parraque: In Andalusia, and specifically Granada, a “parraque” is a sudden illness such as fainting or an anxiety attack.
- Somarda: Another word that originates from Aragon, and is somewhat complex because it refers to a kind of cynical but seemingly innocent humor. To learn more about it, we recommend reading our article about Spanish humor.
- Tronaera: Fireworks shows called “troneras” (given the thunderous noise they produce) are organized at many parties in the Murcia region. By extension the word also means a buzz or noise of whatever nature.
If you travel to Spain you will find many other curious words. So we suggest that you start a collection of this type of words. You will find real treasures!