At Xemant we jumped into the season of the Day of the Dead and, in honor of all those words that are no longer with us on this earthly plane, we wanted to exalt and remember them in this article. If you’re a Language lover, continue reading because today we want to share with you a very interesting and nostalgic topic: Spanish words that are already not used. In this Day of the Dead special, we’ll remember those forgotten Words that were once part of the grandiose universe of our vocabulary.
The evolution of languages is inevitable, and with the passage of time, many words slowly fall into disuse; Spanish is not spared from this phenomenon. Some words are simply forgotten, while many others have been replaced by more modern and current terms, however, these forgotten words allow us to look back, explore a bit in the past and discover what life was like in times past.
They are no longer with us
- Let’s start with a word that many of you have probably never heard: “gaznápiro.” This term, which comes from the 17th century, was used to refer to a foolish or naïve person. Would you call someone like that nowadays? Undoubtedly, the use of this word has changed a lot since then.
- Another word that has disappeared from our vocabulary is “mancebo.” In the past, it was used to refer to a young bachelor. Today, we’ve adopted terms like “soltero” (single) or “joven adulto” (young adult) but the word “mancebo” is a thing of the past.
- Have you ever heard the expression “ estar en los morros“? This phrase was used in Spain to indicate that someone was mad or angry. However, nowadays we prefer to say that someone is “de mal humor” (in a bad mood) or “ enfadado” (angry). It seems that words also have their own lives and evolve with us.
- Another word that has fallen into disuse is “sobarbón”. This term was used to refer to a person with a long, unkempt beard. Although beards are fashionable today, the term “sobarbón” is a thing of the past, perhaps because we now associate beards with style and care.
- As well as these words, there is a long list of other Spanish words that are in disuse such as “acocharse” (to squat), “albote” (roasted chestnut), “embeleco” (deception) or “fierabrás” (bad and perverse person)
These are just a few of the words that have died in Spanish over the years. Each of them has its own history and if we study their etymology, we could travel far back in time, therefore, even if we no longer use them, it is important to remember them and appreciate how the language has evolved.
At Xemant, we are protectors and lovers of Spanish and all its peculiarities and if you are also an enthusiast of the language and languages, we invite you to join our classes and discover more curiosities about Spanish. Remember that even though some words have died, Spanish is still alive and constantly changing. Let’s celebrate the Day of the Dead by remembering forgotten words and enjoying the richness of our language!