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Spanish Words, Latinate-English Cognates, and the Rise of Mnemonic Civilizations - A Do-It-Yourself Testing Perspective
- By Robert Oliphant Columnist EdNews.org
- Published 05/2/2006
- Commentaries and Reports
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Robert Oliphant Columnist EdNews.org

Robert Oliphant’s best known book is “A Piano for Mrs. Cimino” (Prentice Hall), which was made into an award-winning EMI film (Monte Carlo, US Directors) starring Bette Davis. His best known work for musical theater (music, lyrics, and libretto) is “Oscar Wilde’s Earnest: A Chamber Opera for Eight Voices and Chorus.” He has a PhD from Stanford, where he studied medieval lexicography under Herbert Dean Meritt, and taught there as a visiting professor of English and Linguistics. He currently serves as executive director of The Alliance for High Speed Recreational Reading, and formerly served as executive director of Californians for Community College Equity. A resident of
Spanish Words, Latinate-English Cognates, and the Rise of Mnemonic Civilizations - A Do-It-Yourself
Americans have always had trouble learning new words. Via lists or flash cards, the process uses brute force repetition to drive word-targets and their definitions into soft, presumably malleable young minds, there to fester until our Alzheimer's plaques and tangles expel these cognitive intruders - very much like the Memory Sickness in Gabriel Marquez' A Hundred Years of Solitude. As a nation uniquely at mnemonic risk, we should remember here that 80% of the average American's vocabulary, far from being "English," is composed of fundamentally unintelligible, indigestible Graeco-Latinate lumps like, NOSTALGIA, DEMOCRACY, ECONOMICS, and ENTERTAINMENT.
Latin versus Spanish . . . . It is still customary for Deep Thinkers, liberal and conservative, to mourn the passing of Latin in American public education (Walter Ong once defined it as a "puberty rite"). Prospective mourners, though, should first check the words on a standard vocabulary list (e.g., Dolch, grade 13) against both an English-Latin and an English-Spanish dictionary section. If they do, they will discover many more Latinate-English matches with contemporary Spanish than with classical Latin.
Some of these etymologically related cognates (literally "co-born") are immediately apparent, as with acrid- agri , alcoholic- alcohólico , and ancient- anciano . Other pairs are more puzzling, e.g. name- apellido (APPELLATION) and wrinkle- arruga (corRUGATED). But the number of pairings overall is truly impressive, along with testifying to the fact that we borrowed most of our Graeco-Latinate words ("inkhorn terms") relatively late - as indicated by the many abbreviations for late Latin (LL), Medieval Latin (ML), and new Latin (NL) in our desk dictionaries.
Using Spanish and Latinate-English cognates for learning high-frequency vocabulary targets . . . . A nation's vocabulary is much like its coinage system. We have "small change" words like THE and RUN which turn up very frequently and which have many uses, along with "big denomination" words (e.g., MYOCARDIAL) which turn up less frequently. We therefore usually focus upon high-frequency multi-definition words first in building our Spanish vocabulary, e.g., 1,000 VizEd cards or the 5,000 words in a mini-thesaurus like Navarro's Mastering Spanish Vocabulary (MSV), Barron's, 1995.
Appendix One presents 771 Spanish high-frequency target words from MSV, each of which is accompanied by a Latinate-English cognate in caps, a crossword-style definition clue, and a one- or two-word definition. As in the following
tapa (n) 46 TAP 3 sn- 5 snack. . . . taza (n) 45 demi-TASSE 1 c- 3 cup. . . . teñir (v) 28 TINGE 1 d- 3 dye. . . . tejano 50 proTECT 3 j- 5 jeans. . . . tejido 51 TEXTURE 1 f- 6 fabric. . . . teléfono (n) 12 TELEPHONE 1 te- -9 telephone. . . . tela 50 TEXTILE 1 cl- 5 cloth. . . . temblar (v) 27 TREMBLE 1 tr- 7 tremble. . . . tenador (mn) 45 TENTACLE 4 f- 4 fork. . . . tienda (n) 44 TENT 4 st- 5 store (n).
As here indicated, the cognate is sometimes a word-element (as in tejano -proTECT). As is customary, part-of-speech categories are where appropriate indicated via abbreviation (n-noun, mn-masculine noun), etc. The crossword-style clue is included for do-it-yourself testing purposes and therefore includes initial letters (sometimes clusters) and the overall number of letters (as in "te-9" for "telephone"). By way of illustration here is a sample question. Appendix Two presents a do-it-yourself testing procedure that will produce memory-friendly test questions like the following (answers can be checked via Appendix One):
For each of the following four-element Spanish-word presentations, please write out the omitted item that belongs in the underlined blank space.
(1) ____ (n) TAP sn- 5 snack
(2) taza (n) demi-TASSE c- 3 ___
(3) teñir (v) TINGE d- 3 ___
Competing with mnemonic civilizations . . . . What's here represents a very simple first step toward structural-connectedness mnemonics as a replacement for brute-force repetitive learning. It's offered here in the hope that it will be followed by more sophisticated achievements from our professional lexicographers and word-processing experts. As I see it, the urgency behind this kind of effort can be summed up in one phrase: MNEMONIC CIVILIZATIONS.
Right now our so-called "western" civilization shares the planet with three other civilizations that still embody a mnemonic "sacred text" tradition: the Indic (Mahabharata), the Chinese (Confucian classics), and the Islamic (the Koran). As indicated by their low Alzheimer's rates (via Medical Science News), they are now competing with us intellectually, not just economically and politically. I believe it is therefore imperative for us to re-emphasize the role of memorization in our society, measurably so, along with developing new tools and procedures to implement this new emphasis.
TO CONCLUDE . . . .On the bright side, I would point to the National Anthem Project, which calls for memorizing all four verses, the Poetry Out Loud National Recitation Project, which calls for a return to our traditional memorizing and reciting of great poetry, and the growth of external high stakes testing (No Child Left Behind, etc.).
To me, these new developments suggest a growing awareness on the part of Americans that LEARNING is still a hard work brute force personal-best process, even for 6-year-olds. To respect it, and them, is to respect ourselves and our futures. More learning, less teaching - what's wrong with this as an agenda item for Americans these days?
***
Appendix One. . . . Spanish words, Latinate-English cognates, crossword-style clues, and English equivalents.
NOTE. . . . Each entry presents the Spanish word then, including part of speech membership in parentheses if appropriate. Then comes its page location in Mastering Spanish Vocabulary, José María Navarro (Barron's Educational Series, 1995). This is followed by an etymologically related cognate-word or word element in caps (based on Diccionario Etimolologico by Fernando Corripio, Editorial Bruega, 1973). Then comes the number-of-definitions category (1-7) for the English cognate, based on Webster's New World Dictionary (third edition). After this comes the initial letter(s) of the English definition followed by the hyphens, if needed, to indicate additional syllables, and then the number of letters in that definition. Two-word definitions are indicated by hyphen divisions.
By way of illustration, our first entry, ABIERTO(ad)44 is identified as an adjective whose definition appears on page 44 of Mastering Spanish Vocabulary. Its English cognate is represented as APERTure by way of emphasizing the connection between APERT and ABIERTO. The numeral 1 indicates a small number of definitions listed in WNW. The "o-" indicates that its definition begins with letter O and has two syllables. The following "4" indicates that its definition, which follows, has four letters.
Clues . . . . Overall what's here can be fairly described as a sequence of crossword-puzzle clues (letters and definitions) prefaced by a spelling-meaning clue (i.e., an English cognate for the Spanish word-target). Since cognate relationships vary in closeness, the particular usefulness of this spelling-meaning clue will vary greatly. But its cumulative benefit is bound to be substantial, if only for the reason that it adds a logical connectedness to what has traditionally been a rote-learning challenge. What's here can therefore be used as a bi-directional vocabulary growth tests, since questions based on this list can be used to learn both Spanish words and Latinate-English words, including Latinate vocabulary "roots" and sound correspondences (AB/AP, C/CH, etc.).
A list like this, frankly, is just the beginning. There's no reason why its Spanish coverage can't be extended. Nor is there any reason why its approach can't be extended to encompass other cognate-rich Indo-European languages: French, Italian, Portuguese, Russian, Modern Greek, Polish, Lithuanian (very close to Indo-European, incidentally, Serbian, Croatian, etc.
Etymological connectedness . . . . Procedurally, the search procedure begins with a Spanish word (e.g., AGRIO), followed by locating it in a Spanish etymological dictionary and noting its etymology, if any (e.g., "Latin ACER"). After this, an English dictionary is searched to locate an English word (e.g., ACRID) which has the same etymology cited for it (e.g., "Latin ACER"). An acceptable "hit" therefore requires that both the Spanish target and its Latinate English "cognate" have the same etymological source.
In any language, the pronunciation of speech sounds is bound to change over a thousand years. Many of these are set forth in a supplement to the American Heritage Dictionary that is based upon Julius Pokorny's IndoGermanisches Worterbuch, which presents these sounds in Sanskrit-alphabet sequence, e.g., P, B, T, D, K, G, etc. Just as striking, and more puzzling are the changes in the meanings attached to speech sounds. In such a climate of febrile (feverish?) uncertainty, any etymological link proposed is bound to highly speculative: there to fill a vacuum more than anything else.
When it comes to connectedness and learning, though, these etymologies, based as they are upon Corripio's, are fairly authoritative, along with offering a position of strength to the student of vocabularies - Spanish AND English.
***
1) abierto(ad)44APERTure1o-4open (ad).
2) aborto (n)29ABORTION1ab-8abortion
3) abrigo 50 FRIGID (?) 3 c- 4 coat
4) abrir (v) 28 APERTURE 4 o- 4 open
5) acaricar 27 CARESS 1 str- 6 stroke
acción (fn) 27 ACTION 1 act- 6 action
aceite (mn) 40 az-zait (Ar) 4 o- 3 oil
acostar(se) (v) 27 COAST 4 l.d 7 lie down
actividad (fn) 27 ACTIVITY 1 act- 8 activity
adelgazar (v) 28 DELICATE 3 red- 6 reduce
adulto (ad) 29 ADULT 1 ad- 5 adult
afeitar(se) (v( 28 AFFECTATION 4 sh- 5 shave
agachar(se) (v) 27 COGENT 4 cr- 6 crouch
agitar (v) 28 AGITATE 3 sh- 5 shake
agridulce (ad) 26 ACRID/DULCET 1 bit- 11 bittersweet
agrio (ad) 26 ACRID 1 so- 4 sour
agua (mn) 42 AQUATIC 1 wa- 5 water
ahogar (v) 29 sufFOCATE 3 dr- 5 drown
ajo (n) 41 ALLIUM 1 ga- 5 garlic
albaricoque (mn) 41 APRICOT 1 ap- 6 apricot
alcachofa (n) 41 ARTICHOKE 1 art- 9 artichoke
alcohólico (n) 43 ALCOHOLIC 1 al- 9 alcoholic
alcohol (mn) 43 ALCOHOL 1 al- 7 alcohol
alimento (n) 45 ALIMENTARY 1 f- 4 food
almorzar (v) 45 MORSEL 3 lu- 5 lunch (v)
almuerzo (n) 45 MORSEL 3 lu- 5 lunch (n)
alto (ad) 28 ALTItude 1 h- 4 high
amar (v) 29 AMOROUS 1 l- 4 love (v)
amargo (ad) 26 amaretto 2 bit- 6 bitter
ambulancia (n) 31 AMBULANCE 1 amb- 9 ambulance
anciano (ad) 29 ANCIENT 1 ag- 5 aged
andar (v) 27 AMBLE 1 g- 2 go
apéndice (mn) 24 APPENDIX 1 ap- 8 appendix
apagar (v) 28 PACIFY 4 exti- 12 extinguish
apellido (n) 11 APPELLATION 1 na- 4 name
apertivo 46 APERTIF 1 ap- 7 apertif
apetito 46 APPETITE 1 ap- 7 appetite
aplicar (v) 28 APPLY 1 ap- 5 apply
apoyar(se) (v) 27 PODIUM 2 l- 4 lean
apretar (v) 28 PRESSURE 1 pr- 5 press
arriesgado (ad) 33 RISK 1 r- 5 risky
arroz (mn) 40 RICE 1 r- 4 rice
arruga (n) 28 corRUGATED 1 wri- 7 wrinkle
asado (n) 45 SEAR 1 ro- 5 roast (n)
asar (v) 45 SEAR (?) 1 r0- 5 roast
aseo (n) 28 ASSIDUITY 3 gro- 8 grooming
aspecto (n) 30 ASPECT 3 app- 10 appearance
atún 40 TUNA 1 t- 4 tuna
ataque (mn) 32 ATTACK 1 at- 6 attack
atar (v) 28 adAPT 4 fast- 6 fasten
atrativo (ad) 28 ATTRACTIVE 1 at- 11 attractive
auxilio (n) 31 AUXILIARY 2 a- 3 aid
avellana (n) 40 avelano (It) 4 ha-n- 8 hazelnut
azúcar (mn) 40 SUGAR 1 su- 5 sugar
azafran (mn) 40 SAFFRON 1 sa- 7 saffron
bañador (m) 50 BALNEOLOGY 4 b-su- 11 bathing suit
bañar(se) (v) 28 BALNEology 1 ba- 5 bathe
bajo (ad) 28 BASEment 1 sh 5 short
bandja 46 BAND 4 tr- 4 tray
bar (mn) 46 BAR 1 b- 3 bar (n)
barato (ad) 44 BARTERED 3 ch- 5 cheap
barba (n) 28 BARBer 3 be- 5 beard
barbilla (n) 24 BARBer 3 ch- 4 chin
barman (mn) 46 BARMAN 1 ba- 9 bartender
barra 46 BAR 1 b- 3 bar
barriga (n) 24 BARREL (?) 4 bel- 5 belly
batir (v) 45 BATTER 1 b- 4 beat (v)
bebé (mn) 29 BABY 1 b- 4 baby
beber (v) 42 imBIBE 1 dr- 5 drink (v)
bebide (n) 42 BEVERAGE 1 dri 5 drink (n)
bebido (ad) 43 BIBULOUS 4 ti- 5 tipsy
belleza (n) 28 BELLE 1 bea- 6 beauty
bello (ad) 26 BELLE 1 pr- 6 pretty
besar (v) 29 BUSS (?) 1 k- 4 kiss (v)
beso (n) 29 BUSS (?) 1 k- 4 kiss (n)
bigote (mn) 28 'BY GOD' 4 mus- 8 mustache
bistec (mn) 40 BEEF-STEAK 1 st- 5 steak
blanco (ad) 28 BLANK 2 wh- 5 white
blando (ad) 26 BLAND 3 so- 4 soft
blusa 50 BLOUSE 1 bl- 6 blouse
boca (n) 21 BUCCAL 4 m- 5 mouth
bocadilla (n) 45 BUCCAL 4 san- 8 sandwich
bodega (n) 44 APOTHECARY 4 wi-sh- 8 wine shop
boina 51 BERET (basque) 1 b- 5 beret
bombón (mn) 40 BONBON 1 bo- 6 bonbon
borracho (ad) 43 BURLESQUE 4 dr- 5 drunk
bostezar (v) 27 OSCITancy 1 y- 4 yawn
bota 50 BOOT 1 b- 4 boot
bote (mn) 44 BUTT 3 c- 3 can (n)
botella (n) 44 BOTTLE 1 bo- 6 bottle
brandy (mn) 43 BRANDY 1 br- 6 brandy
brazo (n) 21 em-BRACE 3 s- 3 arm
brocha (n) 28 BRUSH 1 br 5 brush (n)
bufanda 51 BUFFOON 4 mu- 7 muffler
buscar (v) 28 OSCILLATE (?) 1 sea- 6 search (v)
cáncer (mn) 32 CANCER 1 ca- 6 cancer
cólera (n) 32 CHOLERA 1 cho- 7 cholera
caña (n) 43 CANE 4 dr-be- 9 draft beer
cabeza (a) 21 deCAPITATE 1 h- 4 head
cadera (n) 24 CHAIR 4 hi- 3 hip
caer(se) (v) 27 deCADENT 2 f- 4 fall (v)
café (mn) 42 COFFEE 1 co- 6 coffee
cafetería 46 CAFETERIA 2 ca- 4 cafe
caida (n) 27 deCADENCE 1 f- 4 fall (n)
caja (n) 44 CASE 1 b- 3 box
caja (n) 44 CASH 3 c-b- 7 cash box
calamar (mn) 40 CALAMUS 4 sq- 4 squid
calcetin (m) 50 CALX 4 st- 8 stocking
caldo (n) 45 CALDRON 4 con- 8 consomme
calentar (v) 45 CALORIE 1 h- 4 heat (v)
calidad (f) 50 QUALITY 1 qu- 7 qulaity
caliente (ad) 26 CALORific 1 wa- 4 warm
caliente (ad) 45 CALORIE 1 w- 4 warm
calle (fn) 12 CARRIER 4 str- 6 street
calvo (ad) 28 CALVARY 2 b- 4 bald
cambiar(se) 51 CHANGE 3 ch-cl- 12 change clothes
camerero (n) 46 CAMERA 4 wa- 6 waiter
caminar (v) 27 chemin de fer (fr) 2 g- 2 go
camisa 50 CHEMISE 3 sh- 5 shirt
cansado (ad) 28 QUASH 1 ti- 5 tired
cansancio (n) 28 QUASH 1 tir- 9 tiredness
cansar (v) 28 QUASH 1 tir- 4 tire
cansar(se) (v) 28 QUASH 1 bec-t- 11 become tired
cara (n) 21 CHEERful 4 f- 4 face
caramelo (n) 40 CARAMEL 2 ca- 5 candy
carmín (mn) 28 CRIMSON 3 lip- 8 lipstick
carne (fn) 40 CARNIvorous 1 m- 4 meat
carnicería (n) 44 CARNIvorous 1 me-ma- 10 meat market
caro (ad) 44 CHERISHED 1 d- 4 dear
carrito (n) 44 CAR 3 c- 4 cart
carta (n) 46 CARD 3 m- 4 menu
casado (ad) 11 CHASTE 4 ma- 7 married
castaño (ad) 28 CHESTNUT 1 ch- 8 chestnut
cava (mn) 43 CAVE 4 cha- 9 champagne
cebolla (n) 41 CIPOLIN 4 on- 5 onion
ceja (n) 23 superCILIOUS 2 ey- 7 eyebrow
cena (n) 45 CENACLE 2 di- 6 dinner
cenar (v) 45 CENACLE 2 d- 4 dine
cenicero (n) 43 CINDER 3 a-tr- 7 ashtray
ceniza (n) 43 CINDER 1 a- 3 ash
cepillar(se) (v) 28 CHIP 1 br- 5 brush (v)
cepillo (n) 28 CHIP 1 br- 5 brush (n)
cerebro (n) 23 CEREBRAL 1 br- 5 brain
cereza (n) 41 CHERRY 1 ch- 6 cherry
cerilla 43 CERACEOUS 4 ma- 5 match
cerrado (ad) 44 SERA-aglio 4 cl- 5 closed
cerrar (v) 28 SERA-glio 2 cl- 5 close
cerveza (n) 43 CEREAL 3 b- 4 beer
cesta (n) 44 CHEST 4 ba- 6 basket
champú (mn) 28 SHAMPOO 1 sh- 7 shampoo
chaqueta 50 JACKET 4 Ja- 6 jacket
chico (n) 29 CHICK PEA (?) 4 b- 3 boy
chocolate (mn) 42 CHOCOLATE 1 cho- 10 chocolate
chorizo (n) 40 SAUSAGE 1 sau- 7 sausage
chuleta (n) 40 CUTLET 1 su- 6 cutlet
chupar (v) 27 JUICE (?) 4 su- 4 suck
churro (n) 45 SORDID (?) 4 fr- 6 fritter
cicatrix (fn) 32 CICATRIX 1 sc- 4 scar
ciego (ad) 32 CECUM 4 bl- 5 blind
cigala (n) 40 CICADA 4 cr-f- 8 crawfish
cigaro (n) 43 CIGAR 1 ci- 5 cigar
cigarrillo (n) 43 CIGARETTE 1 cig- 9 cigarette
ciruela (n) 41 CERamic 4 pl- 4 plum
cirugia (n) 31 CHIROpractic 4 su- 7 surgery
cirujano (n) 31 CHIROpractor 4 su- 7 surgeon
clinica (n) 31 CLINIC 1 cl- 6 clinic
cocer (v) 45 COOK 1 c- 4 cook (v)
cocido (n) 45 COOKED 3 st- 4 stew (n)
cocinar (v) 45 CUISINE 1 c- 4 cook
codo (n) 24 CUBIT 2 el- 5 elbow
coger (v) 28 COGENT 3 gr- 5 grasp
cojo (ad) 32 COCCYX 2 la- 4 lame
col (fn) 41 CAULiflower 1 ca- 7 cabbafe
colgar (v) 28 COLLOCATE 4 ha- 4 hang
coliflor (fn) 41 CAULIFLOWER 1 cau- 11 cauliflower
colocar (v) 28 COLLOCATE 2 arr- 7 arrange
colorado (ad) 28 COLOR 3 r- 3 red
comadrona (n) 29 MATRON 3 mi- 7 midwife
comer (v) 45 COMESTIBLE 1 e- 3 eat
comida (n) 45 COMESTIBLE 3 m- 4 meal
compra (n_ 44 COMPRADOR 1 pur- 7 purchase
comprar (v) 44 COMPRADOR 1 b- 3 buy
compresa (n) 28 COMPRESS 3 nap- 6 napkin
condón (mn) 29 CONDOM 1 co- 6 condom
consciente (ad) 30 CONSCIOUS 1 con- 9 conscious
conserva (n) 44 CONSERVE 3 ca-fo- 10 canned food
consulta (n) 31 CONSULTATION 1 off-ho- 11 office hours
consultorio (n) 31 CONSULTING 3 pr- 8 practice
copa (n) 43 CUP 2 dr- 5 drink (n)
corazón (mn) 22 CORONARY 1 he- 5 heart
corbata 51 CRAVAT 1 n-t- 7 necktie
corporal (ad) 23 CORPORAL 1 bo- 6 bodily
correr (v) 27 COURIER 3 r- 3 run
cortar (v) 32 CURTAIL 3 c- 3 cut
cortar (v) 45 CURTAIL 3 c- 3 cut
crema (n) 28 CREAM 1 cr- 5 cream
crudo 9ad) 45 CRUDE 4 r- 3 raw
cubierto (n) 45 COVER 4 ta-set- 12 table setting
cubrir (v) 28 COVER 1 co- 5 cover
cuchara (n) 45 COCHLEA 4 sp- 5 spoon
cuchararilla (n) 45 COCHLEA 4 t-sp- 8 teaspoon
cuchillo (n) 45 COULTER 4 kn- 5 knife
cuello (n) 23 COLLAR 4 n- 4 neck
cuenta 46 acCOUNT 1 bi- 4 bill
cuerpo (n) 23 CORPSE 2 b- 4 body
cumpeaños (n) 29 COMPLETE-ANNUAL 1 bir- 8 birthday
curar (v) 33 CURE 1 c- 4 cure (v)
débil (ad) 30 DEBILITY 1 w- 4 weal
dañar (v) 32 DAMAGE 1 da- 6 damage (v)
daño (n) 32 DAMAGE 3 h- 4 hurt (n)
dar (v) 28 DATIVE 1 g- 4 give
dedo (n) 21 DIGIT 1 fi- 6 finger
dejar (v) 28 LAX 3 l-be- 11 leave behind
delgado (ad) 28 DELICATE 3 sle- 7 slender
des-cansar (v) 27 QUASH 1 r- 4 rest (v)
desayunar (v) 45 DIS-JEJUNE 4 br-fa- 9 breakfast (v)
desayuno (n) 45 DIS-JEJUNE 4 br-fa- 9 breakfast (n)
descafeinado (ad) 42 DECAFFEINATED 1 dec- 14 decaffeinated
desmayar(se) 32 DISMAY (?) 3 fa- 5 faint
desnudar(se) 50 NUDE 3 und- 7 undress
desnudo 51 NUDE 1 n- 4 nude
despertar(se) (v) 27 PERT 4 wa- 5 waken
despierto (ad) 28 PERT 2 aw- 5 awake
diente (mn( 21 DENTAL 1 t- 5 tooth
digerir (v) 24 DIGEST 1 di- 6 digest
digestión (fn) 24 DIGESTION 1 di- 9 digestion
dirección (fn) 12 DIRECTION 3 add- 7 address
divorciado (ad) 11 DIVORCED 1 div 8 divorced
doler (v) 30 DOLOROUS 3 ac- 4 ache
dolor (mn) 32 DOLOROUSness 1 p- 4 pain
domicillo (n) 13 DOMICILE 1 do- 8 domicile
don 11 DOMINION 2 m- 2 Mr.
dormir (v) 27 DORMITORY 1 sl- 5 sleep
dormir(se) 27 DORMITORY 1 g-t-sl 9 go to sleep
droga (n) 43 DRUG 1 dr- 4 drug
droguería (n) 28 DRUGstore 1 dr- 9 drugstore
duchar(se) (v) 28 DOUCHE 1 sh- 6 shower (v)
duelo (n) 29 DOLOROUS 1 sor- 6 sorrow
dulce (ad) 26 DULCET 1 sw- 5 sweet
duro (ad) 26 DURABLE 2 h- 4 hard
duro (ad) 45 DURABLE 1 h- 4 hard
eachar(se) (v) 27 EJECT 4 co- 8 collapse
echar (v) 45 EJECT 4 a- 3 add
echar (v) 28 proJECTILE 1 thr- 5 throw
edad (fn) 12 AETAT 1 a- 3 age
embarazada (a) 29 EMBARRASSED 3 preg- 8 pregnant
embarazo (n) 29 EMBARRASSMENT 4 preg- 9 pregnancy
embutido (n) 40 IMBUE 4 sau- 7 sausage
emfermo (ad) 30 INFIRM 1 s- 4 sick
emigrante (n) 13 EMIGRANT 1 em- 8 emigrant
empaste (mn) 33 PASTE 4 fi- 7 filling
emplear (v) 28 EMPLOY 1 em- 6 employ
empujar (v) 28 IMPEL 1 pu- 4 push
enamorado (ad) 29 INAMORATA 1 bel- 7 beloved
encendedor (mn) 43 INCENDIARY 1 li- 7 lighter
encender (v) 28 INCINERATE 4 li- 5 light (v)
encontrar (v) 30 ENCOUNTER 2 f- 4 find
enfermar 30 INFIRM 1 a- 3 ail
enfermedad (fn) 32 INFIRMITY 1 ill- 6 illness
enfermero (n) 31 INFIRMARY 1 n- 5 murse
enfermo (n) 32 INFIRM 1 pa- 7 patient
engordar (v) 28 GORGE 3 fat- 6 fatten
ensalada (n) 45 SALAD 1 sa- 5 salad
entrar (v) 27 ENTER 1 en- 5 enter
entregar (v) 28 INTEGRATE 4 de- 7 deliver
envenenar (v) 29 ENVENOM 1 po- 6 poison (v)
envolver (v) 28 INVOLVE 4 wr- 5 wrap
escoger 46 COGENT (?) 1 ch- 6 choose
esconder (v) 28 reCONDITE 1 h- 4 hide
escuchar (v) 26 AUSCULTATE 1 lis- 6 listen
esfuerzo (n) 27 efFORT 1 ef- 6 effort
espárrago (n) 41 ASPARAGUS 1 asp- 9 asparagus
espalda (n) 22 EPAULETTE 4 b- 4 back
esparadrapo (n) 33DRAPE 4 adh-t- 12 adhesive tape
especialidad (fn) 46 SPECIALTY 1 spe- 9 specialty
espinaca (n) 41 SPINACH 1 sp- 7 spinach
esqueleto (n) 23 SKELETON 1 sk- 8 skeleton
estómago (n) 22 STOMACH 1 st- 7 stomach
estanco (n) 44 STAGNATION 4 sh- 4 shop (n)
estar (v) 11 STAND (oe) 2 b- 2 be
examinar (v) 28 EXAMINE 1 ex- 7 examine
exprimir (v) 45 PRESS 3 sq 6 sqeeze
extranjero (n) 12 STRANGER 3 for- 9 foreigner
faba (mn) 41 FAVA 1 b- 4 bean
falda 50 FOLD 2 sk 5 skirt
farmacía (n) 28 PHARMACY 1 ph- 8 pharmacy
femenino (ad) 28 FEMININE 1 fem- 8 feminine
feo (ad) 28 FETID 2 ug- 4 ugly
fiebre (fn) 32 FEBRILE 1 f- 5 fever
fijar (v) 28 FIX 1 f- 3 fix
filete (mn) 40 FILET 1 f- 5 filet
filtro (n) 43 FILTER 1 fi- 6 filter
fisico (ad) 23 PHYSICAL 1 ph- 8 physical
flan (mn) 40 FLAT 4 cu- 7 custard
frío (n) 26 FRIGIDITY 1 c- 4 cold (n)
fractura (n) 32 FRACTURE 1 br- 5 break (n)
freir (v) 45 FRY 1 fr- 3 fry
frente (fn) 21 FRONT 3 for- 8 forehead
fresa (n) 41 FRAGment 4 st-be- 10 strawberry
frito (ad) 45 FRIED 1 fr- 5 fried
frotar (v) 33 FRICTION 3 r- 3 rub
fruta (n) 41 FRUIT 1 fr- 5 fruit
fuego (n) 45 FOCUS 4 f- 4 fire
fuerte (ad) 28 FORTIFY 1 str- 5 strong
fumador (mn) 43 FUME 1 sm- 6 smoker
fumar (v) 43 FUME 3 sm- 5 smoke (v)
gafas (n) 33 GAFF 4 e-gl- 10 eye-glasses
galleta (n) 40 GALLET 3 co- 6 cookie
garganta (n) 24 GARGLE 2 th- 6 throat
gazpacho (n) 45 CACOphony (?) 4 co-so- 8 cold soup
gesto (n) 27 GESTURE 1 ge- 7 gesture
gordo (ad) 28 GORGE 2 f- 3 fat
gorra 51 CORONA (?) 3 c- 3 cap
gota (n) 33 GUTTER 3 dr- 4 drop (n)
gozar 26 GAUDY 4 enj- 5 enjoy
grave (ad) 32 GRAVE 1 gr- 5 grave
gripe (fn) 32 GRIPPE 1 fl- 3 flu
grueso 51 GROSS 1 th- 5 thick
guante (m) 50 WANT 4 gl- 5 glove
guapo (ad) 28 HAPPY (?) 3 pr- 6 pretty
guardar (v) 28 GUARD 2 st- 5 store
guisante (mn) 41 PISIFORM 1 p- 3 pea
gustar (v) 26 GUSTO 1 ta- 5 taste (v)
gusto (n) 26 GUSTO 1 ta- 5 taste (n)
hachis (mn) 43 HASHISH 1 has- 7 hashish
hallar (v) 28 SUFFLATE 4 fi- 4 find
hambre (mn) 45 FAMINE 1 hu- 6 hungry
harina (n) 40 FARINA 1 fl- 5 flour
hecho (ad) 45 FACT 4 d- 4 done
helado (n) 40 GELATIN 3 i-cr- 8 ice cream
hembra (n) 29 FEMININE 1 fe- 6 female
herida (n) 32 FIERCEness 4 in- 6 injury
herido (ad) 32 FIERCE 4 in- 7 injured
hervir (v) 45 FERVENT 3 b- 4 boil
hichado (ad) 32 inFLATE 1 swo- 7 swollen
higado (n) 24 FIG 4 liv- 5 liver
higiénico (ad) 28 HYGENIC 1 hy- 7 hygenic
hombre (mn) 11 HOMINID 1 m- 3 man
hombro (n) 24 HUMERUS 1 sh- 8 shoulder
homosexual (n) 29 HOMOSEXUAL 1 ho- 10 homosexual
hongo (n) 32 FUNGUS 1 fu- 6 fungus
horchada (n) 42 HORTICULTURE 4 alm-dr- 11 almond drink
horno (n) 45 FURNACE 3 ov- 4 oven
hospital (mn) 31 HOSPITAL 1 ho- 8 hospital
hueso (n) 21 OSSIFY 2 b- 4 bone
huevo (n) 40 OVULATE 1 e- 3 egg
identidad (fn) 12 IDENTITY 1 id- 8 identity
inflamar (v) 32 INFLAME 1 swe 5 swell (v)
immigrante (n) 13 IMMIGRANT 1 im- 9 immigrant
incluido 46 INCLUDED 1 inc- 8 inckuded
infancía (n) 29 INFANCY 1 inf- 7 infancy
infantil (ad) 29 INFANTILE 1 inf 9 infantile
infección (fn) 32 INFECTION 1 ing- 9 infection
instrucción 28 INSTRUCTION 1 i- 11 instruction
intimo (ad) 29 INTIMATE 1 int- 8 intimate
inyección (fn) 33 INJECTION 1 inj 9 injection
ir (v) 27 ITINERARY 1 g- 2 go
ir(se) (v) 27 ITINERANT 1 lea- 5 leave
jabón (mn) 28 SAPONIFY 1 so- 4 soap
jamón (mn) 40 HAM 1 h- 3 ham
jarra 46 JAR 1 pi- 7 pitcher
jerez (mn) 43 SHERRY 1 sh- 6 sherry
jersey (m) 50 JERSEY 2 sw- t sweater
joven (ad) 29 JUVENILE 1 y- 5 young
joven (mn) 29 JUVENILE 1 y- 5 young man
judia (n) 41 JUICE (?) 4 be- 4 bean
jugo (n) 42 JUICE 1 ju- 5 juice
juvenetud (fn) 29 JUVENALIA 1 yo- 5 youth
juvenile (ad) 28 JUVENILE 2 you- 8 youthful
labio (n) 23 LABIAL 1 l- 3 lip
laca (fn) 28 LACQUER 3 n-po- 10 nail polish
langosta (n) 40 LOCUST 4 lo- 7 lobster
lata (n) 44 LATTEN 3 c- 3 can (n)
lavar(se) (v) 28 LAVE 1 wa- 4 wash
leche (fn) 42 LACTIC 1 m- 4 milk
lechuga (n) 41 LACTIC 4 le- 7 lettuce
legumbre (fn) 41 LEGUME 2 veg- 9 vegetable
lengua (n) 21 biLINGUAL 2 to- 6 tongue
lenguado (n) 40 LING cod (?) 4 s- 4 sole
lesbiana (n) 29 LESBIAN 1 le- 7 lesbian
levantar (v) 28 eLEVATE 1 l- 4 lift
levantar(se) (v) 27 LEVERage 3 r- 4 rise
leve (ad) 32 alLEVIATE 1 sl- 6 slight
licor (mn) 43 liqueur 1 li- 7 liqueur
limón 41 LEMON 1 l- 5 lemon
lima (n) 28 LIME (?) 4 fi- 4 file
limpio (ad) 28 LIMPID 1 li- 6 limpid
liso 51 LEACH 1 pl- 5 plain (a)
lista (n) 46 LIST 1 list 4 list
llamar(se) 11 CLAMOR 2 ca- 4 call
llegar (v) 27 PLAY 4 arr- 6 arrive
llenar (v) 28 PLENTiful 1 f- 4 fill
llevar 50 LEVY 4 w 4 wear
llevar (v) 28 LEVY 2 t- 4 take
loco (ad) 32 ULULATE 3 cr- 5 crazy
locura 32 LOCO 1 ma- 7 madness
luto (n) 29 LUTEAL 4 mou- 8 mourning
músculo 25 MUSCLE 1 mu- 6 muscle
madrugar 27 MATURE 4 r-ea- 9 rise early
maduro (ad) 41 MATURE 1 r- 4 ripe
magro (ad) 45 EMACIATED 2 l- 4 lean
maiz (mn) 41 MAIZE 1 c- 4 corn
malestar (mn) 30 MALADY 2 F 13 indisposition
manchar(se) (v) 28 imMACULATE 1 di- 5 dirty (v)
mano (fn) 21 MANipulate 1 h- 4 hand
mantel (mn) 45 MANTLE 3 ta-cl- 10 tablecloth
mantequilla (n) 40 MANGER (?) 4 bu- 6 butter
manzana (n) 41 MANCHINEEL 4 ap- 5 apple
maquillar(se) (v) 28 MAKE 1 ma- 6 makeup
mareado (ad) 32 MARINE 4 di- 5 dizzy
marijuana (n) 43 MARIJUANA 1 mar- 9 marijuana
(n) 40 MARMALADE 1 j- 3 jam
marsico (n) 40 MARINE 3 shel- 9 shellfish
masaje (mn) 33 MASSAGE 1 ma- 7 massage (n)
masculino (ad) 28 MASCULINO 1 masc- 9 masculine
masticar (v) 45 MASTICATE 1 ch- 4 chew
matriz (fn) 29 MATRIX 4 ute- 6 uterus
mayonesa (n) 45 mayonnaise 1 may- 10 mayonnaise
media 50 MIDDLE 4 ny-st- 11 nylon stocking
medicamento (n) 33 MEDICation 1 med- 9 medication
medicina (n) 33 MEDICINE 1 m- 8 medicine
medico (n) 31 MEDIC 1 d- 5 doctor
mejillón (mn) 40 MUSSEL 1 mu- 6 mussel
mejilla (n) 23 MAXILLA 1 ch- 5 cheek
mejorar (v) 33 MELIORATE 1 im- 7 improve
melón (mn) 41 MELON 1 me- 5 melon
melocotón (mn) 41 MELON 4 pe- 5 peach
menú (mn( 46 MENU 4 di- 6 dinner
mercado (n) 44 MARKET 1 ma- 6 market
merienda 45 MERIDIAN 4 sn- 5 snack
merluza (n) 40 MARINE-LOX 1 ha- 4 hake
mezclar (v) 45 MIX 1 m- 3 mix
miel (fn) 40 MILDEW 1 ho- 5 honey
miope (ad) 32 MYOPIC 1 my- 6 myopic
mirada (n) 26 adMIRATION 3 l- 4 look (n)
mirar (v) 26 adMIRE 2 lo- 4 look
moda 50 MODE 1 st- 5 style
modado (ad) 28 eMOLLIENT 2 w- 3 wet
mojar (v) 28 eMOLLIENT 4 w- 3 wet (v)
moreno (ad) 28 MOROCCO 2 br- 5 brown
morir (v) 29 MORTALITY 1 d- 3 die
mortal (ad) 29 MORTAL 1 fat- 5 fatal
mostaza (n) 40 MUSTARD 1 mu- 7 mustard
mover (v) 28 MOVE 1 m- 4 move
muñexa (n) 24 MANACLE 3 wr- 5 wrist
mudo (ad) 32 MUTE 4 m- 4 mute
muela (n) 21 MOLAR 1 m- 5 molar
muerte (ad) 29 MORTICIAN 1 d- 4 dead
muerte (fn) 29 MORTUARY 1 d- 5 death
mujer (fn) 11 MULIEbrity 2 wo- 5 woman
número (n) 12 NUMBER 1 nu- 6 number
nacer (v) 29 NATIVITY 1 t-b-bo- 8 to be born
naranja (n) 41 ORANGE 1 or- 6 orange
naranjada (n) 42 ORANGEADE 1 or- 9 orangeade
nariz (fn) 21 NASAL 1 n- 4 nose
nata (n) 40 MANGER 4 cr- 5 cream
nationalidad (fn) 12 NATIONALITY 1 na- 11 nationality
negro (ad) 28 NEGRO 1 bl- 5 black
nervio (n) 25 NERVE 1 n- 5 nerve
niño (n) 11 MINOR 3 b- 3 boy
nombre (mn) 11 NOMENclature 1 na- 4 name
notar (v) 26 NOTice 1 no- 6 notice (v)
oicante (ad) 45 PIQUANT 1 sp- 5 spicy
oido (n) 26 AUDIO 1 he 7 hearing
oimiento (n) 41 PIGMENT 3 pe- 6 pepper
oir (v) 26 AUDible 1 h- 4 hear
ojo (n) 21 OCULIST 1 e- 3 eye
oler (v) 26 OLFACTORY 1 sm- 5 smell (v)
olor (mn) 26 OLFACTION 1 sm- 5 smell (n)
operación (fn) 33 OPERATION 1 op- 9 operation
oreja (n) 21 AURAL 1 e- 3 ear
otro 46 anOTHER 1 ano- 7 another
pállido (ad) 28 PALLID 1 p- 4 pale
pésame (mn) 29 PENSIVE 3 sym- 7 sympathy
pañuelo 50 PANEL 3 cl- 5 cloth
paella (n) 45 PATELLA 3 pa- 6 paella
pagar (v) 44 PACIFY 4 p- 3 pay
pan (mn) 40 PANNIER 4 br- 5 bread
panadería (n) 44 PANNIER 4 ba- 6 bakery
panteléon (m) 50 PANTS 1 p- 5 pants
paquete (mn) 44 PACKAGE 1 pa- 7 package
parar(se) 27 PARADE 2 st- 4 stop (v)
parecer(se) (v) 28 apPEAR 2 res- 8 resemble
parrilla (n) 45 BARBEQUE (?) 1 gr- 5 grill
parto (n) 29 vivi-PAROUS 1 b- 5 birth
pasaporte (mn) 12 PASSPORT 1 pa- 8 passport
pasar (v) 27 PASS 1 g-i- 4 go in
paso (n) 27 PEDESTRIAN 3 st- 4 step (n)
pastel (mn) 40 PASTE 2 p- 3 pie
pastilla (n) 33 PASTILLE 1 p- 4 pill
patata 41 POTATO 1 po- 6 potato
pecho (n) 22 PECTORAL 1 br- 6 breast
pedir (v) 46 PETITION 3 or- 5 order (v)
peinado (n) 28 PECTINATE 1 hai- 8 hairdo
peine (mn) 28 PECTINATE 1 co- 4 comb
pelirojo (ad) 28 HAIR-RED 1 r-h- 9 red-haired
pelo (n) 21 dePILATORY 1 h- 4 hair
peluqueria (n) 28 dePILATORY 1 bar- 10 barbershop
pepino (n) 41 PUMPKIN 4 cu- 8 cucumber
pera (n) 41 PEAR 1 p- 4 pear
percebir (v) 26 PERCEIVE 1 per- 8 perceive
perejil (mn) 41 PARSLEY 1 pa- 7 parsley
perfume (n) 28 PERFUME 1 per- 7 perfume
periodo (n) 29 PERIOD 4 men- 11 menstruation
persona (n) 11 PERSON 1 p-- 6 person
pesadilla (n) 28 PENSIVE 3 nigh- 9 nightmare
pescado (n) 40 PISCES 1 f- 4 fish
piña (n) 41 PINE 4 pi-ap- 9 pineapple
picadura (n) 32 PICK 3 bi- 4 bite (n)
pie 23 PODiatrist 1 f- 4 foot
piel (fn) 21 PELTRY 1 sk- 4 skin
pierna 23 PODiatrist 4 l- 3 leg
pijama 50 PAJAMA 4 pa- 7 pajama
pildora (n) 29 PILL 1 p- 4 pill
pimentón (mn) 40 PIMENTO 1 pa- 7 paprika
pimento (n) 40 PIMENTO 1 pe- 6 pepper
pinchar (v) 28 PUNCTURE 1 pun- 8 puncture
pintar(se) (v) 28 PAINT 1 p- 5 paint
pinzas (n) 28 PINCERS 3 tw- 8 tweezers
pipa (n) 43 PIPE 1 p- 4 pipe
pisar (v) 27 PEDESTRIAN 3 st- 4 step (v)
plátano (n) 41 PLANTAIN 1 ba- 7 bananna
plancha (n) 46 PLANK 3 gr- 7 griddle
plato (n) 46 PLATTER 3 co- 6 course
plato (n) 45 PLATE 1 pl- 5 plate
podrido (ad) 44 PUTRID 1 sp- 7 spoiled
pollo (n) 40 POULTRY 1 ch- 7 chicken
pomada (n) 33 POMADE 2 sa- 5 salve
poner(se) 50 POSITION 3 p-o- 5 put on
postre (mn) 46 POSTERIOR 3 de- 7 dessert
precio (n) 44 PRECIOUS 2 pr- 5 price
preparar (v) 45 PREPARE 1 pr- 7 prepare
prevenir (v) 33 PREVENT 1 pre- 7 prevent
probar (v) 45 PROBE 4 ta- 5 taste (v)
profesión (fn) 12 PROFESSION 1 pro- 10 profession
propina 46 PROPINA (ital.) 4 t- 3 tip
puño (n) 24 PUGILIST 2 fi- 4 fist
pubertad (fn) 29 PUBERTY 1 pu- 7 puberty
pulmón (n) 24 PULMONARY 1 l- 4 lung
pulmonia (n) 32 PNEUNMONIA 1 pne- 10 pneunmonia
pus (mn) 32 PUS 1 p- 3 pus
quadro 51 QUADRANGLE 1 ch- 5 check
quedar(se) 27 QUIET 4 rem- 6 remain
quemar (v) 32 CREMATE 1 b- 4 burn
quemar (v) 45 CREMATE 1 b- 4 burn
querer (v) 29 QUEST 1 des- 6 desire (v)
queso (n) 40 CASEIN 1 ch- 6 cheese
quieto (ad) 27 QUIET 1 qu- 5 quiet
quitar (v) 28 reQUITE 4 t-aw- 8 take away
quitar(se) 51 QUIT 3 und- 7 undress
régimen (mn) 33 REGIMEN 3 d- 4 diet
rímel (mn) 28 RHEUM (?) 4 mas- 7 mascara
ración (fn) 46 RATION 1 po- 7 portion
rascar(se) 27 RAZOR 3 scr- 6 scratch
raya 51 RAY 3 str- 6 stripe
rebanada (n) 45 RAPINE 4 sl- 5 slice (n)
receta (n) 33 RECIPE 2 pre- 12 prescription
receta (n) 45 RECEIPT 3 rec- 6 recipe
recoger (v) 28 RECOLLECT 1 co- 7 collect
reconocer (v) 33 RECONNOITER 3 exa- 7 examine
reconocer (v) 26 RECOGNIZE 1 rec- 9 recognize
refresco (n) 42 REFRESHMENT 1 ref- 11 refreshment
región (fn) 13 REGION 1 re- 6 region
regresar (v) 27 REGRESS 1 ret- 6 return
reir(se) (v) 27 RIDICULE 4 la- 5 laugh
relajar(se) (v) 27 RELAX 1 re- 5 relax
remover (v) 45 REMOVE 4 st- 4 stir
resfriado (n) 32 FRIGIDITY 3 c- 4 cold (n)
residencia (fn) 13 RESIDENCE 1 re- 9 residence
respiración (n) 24 RESPIRATION 1 res- 11 respiration
respirare (v) 24 RESPIRATION 1 br- 7 breathe
restaurante (mn) 46 RESTAURANT 1 res- 10 restaurant
retener (v) 28 RETAIN 1 r- 6 retain
reuma (n) 32 RHEUM 1 rheu- 10 rheumatism
riñon (mn) 24 RENAL 1 ki- 6 kidney
rico (ad) 45 RICH 4 del - 9 delicious
risa (n) 27 RISIBILITY 4 la- 5 laughter
rizado (ad) 28 RHIZOID (?) 2 wa- 4 wavy
rodaja (n) 40 ROUND 3 sl- 5 slice
rodilla (n) 25 ROTATOR 4 kn- 4 knee
romper (v) 28 RUPTURE 1 br- 5 break (v)
ron (mn) 43 RUM 1 r- 3 rum
ropa 50 ROBE 3 r- 4 clothing
rubio (ad) 28 RUBY 4 blo- 6 blonde
ruido (n) 26 ROAR 2 noi- 5 noise
sabor (n) 26 SAVOR 1 fla - 6 flavor
sabroso (ad) 45 SAVORY 1 ta- 5 tasty
sacar (v) 28 SACK 2 t-o- 7 take out
sacarina (n) 40 SACCHARIN 1 sac- 9 saccharin
sal (fn) 40 SALT 1 s- 4 salt
salado (ad) 26 SALTY 1 s- 5 salty
salchichón 40 SAUSAGE 1 sau- 7 sausage
salir (v) 27 SALLY 1 le- 5 leave
salmón (mn) 40 SALMON 1 sa- 6 salmon
salsa (n) 45 SAUCE 1 sa- 5 sauce
salud 30 SALUTARY 1 he- 6 health
sandia (n) 41 sandia (Ar) 1 wa-me- 10 watermelon
sangrar (v) 32 SANGUINARY 1 bl- 5 bleed
sangre (fn) 22 conSANGUINITY 1 bl- 5 blood
sangria (n) 43 SANGUINARY 4 wi-pu- 9 wine punch
sano (ad) 30 SANE 2 he- 7 healthy
sarampion (mn) 32 XERO-AMPELopsis 4 mea- 7 measles
sardina (n) 40 SARDINA 1 sa- 7 sardine
señalar (v) 28 SIGNAL 4 ind- 8 indicate
señor 11 SENIOR 3 m- 2 Mr.
secador (mn) 28 SICCATIVE 1 dr- 5 dryer
secar(se) (v) 28 SICCATIVE 1 dr- 3 dry (v)
sed (fn) 42 SICCATIVE 1 th- 6 thirst
sediente (ad) 42 SICCATIVE 1 th- 7 thirsty
semiseco (ad) 43 SICCATIVE 1 se-dr- 7 semidry
sentar(se) (v) 27 SEDENTary 1 s- 3 sit
sentido (n) 26 SENSE 1 s- 5 sense (n)
sentir (v) 26 SENTimental 1 fe- 4 feel
sentir (v) 30 SENTIMENT 3 f- 4 feel
sepultura (n) 29 SEPULCHER 1 gr- 5 grave
ser (v) 11 ESSENCE 1 ess- 7 be
servilleta (n) 45 SERVIETEE 1 na- 6 napkin
servir (v) 46 SERVE 1 se- 5 serve
sexo (n) 12 SEX 1 s- 3 sex
sexual (ad) 29 SEXUAL 1 se- 6 sexual
siesta (n) 27 SEXTet 3 n- 3 nap
silencio (n) 26 SILENCE 1 qui- 5 quiet
soñar (v) 28 inSOMNIA 3 dr- 5 dream (v)
socorro (n) 31 SUCCOR 1 h 4 help
soltar (v) 28 disSOLVE 1 loo- 6 loosen
soltero (ad) 11 SOLITARY 3 si- 6 single
sombra (n) 28 SOMBRERO 2 sh- 6 shadow
sombrero 50 SOMBER 2 h- 3 hat
sonreir (v) 27 RIDICULE 4 sm- 5 smile (v)
sonrisa (n) 27 RISIBLE 4 sm- 6 smile (n)
sopa (n) 45 SOUP 1 s- 4 soup
sordo (ad) 32 SURD 1 d- 4 deaf
sordomudo (n) 32 SURD-MUTE 1 de- 8 deafmute
soso (ad) 45 UNSALTED 3 d- 4 dull
suave (ad) 43 SUAVE 4 m- 4 mild
sucio (ad) 28 SOILed 3 di- 5 dirty
sudar (v) 32 SUDORIFIC 1 sw- 5 sweat
sudor (mn) 25 SUDORific 1 swe- 5 sweat
sueño 28 inSOMNIA 3 dr- 5 dream (n)
sufrir (v) 32 SUFFER 1 su- 6 suffer
suicidio (n) 29 SUICIDE 1 sui- 7 suicide
supermercado (n) 44 SUPERMARKET 1 su-ma- 11 supermarket
té (mn) 42 TEA 1 t- 3 tea
tabaco (n) 43 TOBACCO 1 to- 6 tobacco
taburete (mn) 46 TAMBOURINE 2 st- 5 stool
tacto (n) 26 TACTile 1 to- 5 touch (n)
tampón (mn) 28 TAMPON 1 t- 6 tampon
tapa (n) 46 TAP 3 sn- 5 snack
taza (n) 45 demi-TASSE 1 c- 3 cup
teñir (v) 28 TINGE 1 d- 3 dye
tejano 50 proTECT 3 j- 5 jeans
tejido 51 TEXTURE 1 f- 6 fabric
teléfono (n) 12 TELEPHONE 1 te- 9 telephone
tela 50 TEXTILE 1 cl- 5 cloth
temblar (v) 27 TREMBLE 1 tr- 7 tremble
tenador (mn) 45 TENTACLE 4 f- 4 fork
tienda (n) 44 TENT 4 st- 5 store (n)
tifus (mn) 32 TYPHUS 1 ty- 6 typhus
tipico (ad) 45 TYPICAL 1 ti- 7 typical
tipo (n) 28 TYPE 4 fig- 6 figure
tirar (v) 28 TIRADE 1 thr- 5 throw
tirita (n) 33 TIRADE 4 ba-ai- 7 band-aid
toalla (n) 28 TOWEL 1 t- 5 towel
tobillo (n) 25 TUBER 4 ank- 5 ankle
tocar (v) 26 TOUCH 1 t- 5 touch
tomar (v) 28 TOMOgraphy 4 t- 4 take
tomar (v) 46 TOMOgraphy 4 ta- 4 take
tomar(se) 42 TOMography 4 con- 7 consume
tomato (n) 41 TOMATO 1 to- 6 tomato
torcer (v) 32 TORQUE 1 tw- 5 twist
tortilla (n) 45 TORTE 4 om- 6 omelet
tos (fn) 32 perTUSSIS 1 co- 5 cough (n)
toser (v) 32 TUSSIS 1 co- 5 cough (v)
traer (v) 46 TRACTOR 4 br- 5 bring
tragar (v) 27 TRACHEA 4 sw- 7 swallow
trago (n) 43 TRACHEA 4 dr- 5 drink (n)
traje (m) 50 TRACT 4 su- 4 suit
trasero (n) 25 TRANSOM 4 butt- 8 buttocks
tratar (v) 33 TREAT 1 tr- 5 treat (v)
tumba (a) 29 TOMB 1 t- 4 tomb
turno (n) 44 TURN 1 t- 4 turn (n)
uña (n) 24 UNGULATE 4 fing- 10 fingernail
urgencia (n) 31 URGENCY 1 em- 9 emergency
usar (v) 28 USE 1 u- 3 use (v)
uso (n) 28 USE 1 u- 3 use (n)
uva (n) 41 UVULA 4 gr- 5 grape
vacunación (fn) 33 VACCINATION 1 vac- 11 vaccination
varón (mn) 29 VALOROUS 3 m- 4 male
variedad (fn) 44 VARIETY 1 var- 7 variety
vaso (n) 45 VASE 3 gl- 5 glass
vejez (fn) 29 VETERAN 1 sen- 8 senility
vena (n) 25 VEIN 1 v- 4 vein
venda (n) 33 BINDING 1 ban- 7 bandage
vendar (v) 33 BIND 1 ba- 7 bandage
vender (v) 44 VENDOR 1 s- 4 sell
veneno (n) 29 VENOM 1 po- 6 poison (n)
ver (v) 26 VISualize 1 s- 3 see
verde (ad) 41 VERDANT 1 gr- 5 green
verdulería (n) 44 VERDANT 3 gr-gro 11 greengrocer
verdura (n) 41 VERDURE 3 veg- 10 vegetables
vestido 50 VESTMENT 1 dr- 5 dress (n)
vestir(se) 50 VESTMENT 1 dr- 5 dress
vida (n) 29 VITALITY 1 l- 4 life
viejo (ad) 29 VETERAN 2 o- 3 old
vientre (n) 24 VENTRAL 1 be- 5 belly
vinagre (mn) 40 VINEGAR 1 vi- 7 vinegar
vino (n) 43 VINE 3 w- 4 wine
virgen (fn) 29 VIRGIN 1 vi- 6 virgin
vista (n) 26 VISION 1 si- 5 sight
viudo(n) 11 WIDOWer (oe) 1 wi 8 widower
vivir (v) 29 reVIVE 1 l- 4 live
vivo (ad) 29 VIVACIOUS 1 al- 5 alive
volver(se) (v) 27 reVOLVE 1 t-ar- 10 turn around
vomitar (v) 32 VOMIT 1 v- 5 vomit (v)
zanahoria (n) 41 isufannariya (Ar) 4 ca- 6 carrot
zapatilla 50 SABOTAGE 4 sl- 7 slipper
zapato 50 SABOTAGE 4 sh- 4 shoe
0.119047619 zumo (n) 42 SUCCULENT 4 ju- 5 juice
***
Appendix Two. . . . Do-It-Yourself Test Construction
By way of illustrating our range of test-construction possibilities, here's a sample 10-item test that employs different combinations of our four basic elements: Spanish word, Latinate-English cognate, Crossword-style clue (initial letters and number of letters for the English definition), and English definition (usually a single word)
DIRECTIONS. . . . Each of the ten accompanying four-element test items has one or more of its basic elements and omitted replaced by an underlined blank space. . . . Please write out the omitted item that belongs in the FIRST blank space (or the "only" blank space where applicable). Your test proctor may, by way of variation, specify SECOND blank space.
Question Items: 1-10.
(1) ____ (n) 46 TAP 3 sn- 5 snack
(2) taza (n) 45 demi-TASSE 1 c- 3 ___
(3) teñir (v) 28 TINGE 1 d- 3 ___
(4) tejano 50 proTECT 3 j- 5 jeans
(5) tejido 51 TEXTURE 1 f- 6 ______
(6) ________ (n) 12 TELEPHONE 1 te- 9 telephone
(7) tela 50 _______ cl- 5____
(8) temblar (v) 27 _______1 tr- 7 tremble
(9) tenador (mn) 45 TENTACLE 4 f- 4
(10) tienda (n) 44 ____4____ ____ (n)
COMMENT. . . . Practically considered, a do-it-yourselfer can easily photocopy our original word list, or segment thereof, after which the blanking out process can take place. More ambitiously, several derivative lists can be produced, each of which represents a progressive higher level of difficulty.
Multiple-Choice Version . . . . For each of the above items, please indicate THE FIRST VOWEL LETTER of the answer-word requested. You have four alternatives: (a) A; (b) E; (c) I; (d) O, U, Y, "none of these." Your test proctor may, by way of variation, ask for the second vowel letter or even the third.
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