Spanish Vocabulary
Unlike other vocabulary guides that require the rote memorization of literally thousands of words, this book starts from the premise that using the etymological connections between Spanish and English words—their common derivations from Latin, Greek, and other languages—is the most effective way to acquire and remember vocabulary. This approach is suitable for beginners as well as for advanced students. Teachers of the language will also find much material that can be used to help motivate their students to acquire, and retain, Spanish vocabulary.
Spanish Vocabulary is divided into four parts and four annexes:
- Part I provides background material on the origins of Spanish and begins the process of presenting Spanish vocabulary.
- Part II presents "classical" Spanish vocabulary—words whose form (in both Spanish and English) is nearly unchanged from Latin and Greek.
- Part III deals with "popular" Spanish vocabulary, which underwent significant changes in form (and often meaning) during the evolution from Latin to Spanish. A number of linguistic patterns are identified that will help learners recognize and remember new vocabulary.
- Part IV treats a wide range of themes, including words of Germanic and Arabic origin, numbers, time, food and animals, the family, the body, and politics.
- Annex A: Principal exceptions to the "Simplified Gender Rule"
- Annex B: 700 words whose relations, if any, to English words are not immediately obvious
- Annex C: -cer verbs and related words
- Annex D: 4,500 additional words, either individually or in groups, with English correspondences
David Brodsky, who currently resides in Aix-en-Provence, France, is also the author of Spanish Verbs Made Simple(r) and French Verbs Made Simple(r). He holds advanced degrees from MIT and Yale University.
- Preface
- Abbreviations and Symbols
- Simplified Gender Rule
- Introduction
- Part I: Background
- 1.1. Spanish as a Romance Language
- 1.2. "Learned" versus "Popular" Words
- 1.3. Latin: A Few Useful Tools
- Part II: Classical Vocabulary
- 2.1. "Learned" Latin Words
- 2.2. "Learned" Greek Words
- Part III: Popular Vocabulary: The Shape of Spanish
- 3.1. Addition of "Helping" e: esnob = snob
- 3.2. Initial f to h: higo = fig
- 3.3. Vowel Changes: e to ie, o to ue, etc.
- 3.4. Basic Consonant Changes: p/b, t/d, c/g
- 3.5. Other Distinctive Consonants (or Lack Thereof)
- Part IV: Selected Topics
- 4.1. Goths and Other Germans
- 4.2. Arabs and Muslims
- 4.3. Numbers and Quantities
- 4.4. Time
- 4.5. Ser and Estar
- 4.6. Food and Animals
- 4.7. Religion
- 4.8. The Family
- 4.9. Body, Spirit, and Mind
- 4.10. Romance (Languages) and Politics
- Annexes: Additional Words
- A. Principal Exceptions to the "Simplified Gender Rule"
- B. 700 Not-So-Easy Words
- C. Verbs Ending in -cer and Related Words
- D. 4,500 Relatively Easy Words
- Selected References
