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Old June 28, 2012, 04:54 PM
pacomartin123 pacomartin123 is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Rusty View Post
Note that both meanings are used in Cental America and Spain. English has a whole bunch of words with more than one meaning. So does Spanish. Context makes the usage clear.
One of the definitions of "coraje" in the DRAE is "valor". My friend from Mexico says that is true on paper, but in reality it is considered a quaint, and old fashioned definition.

It would be like using the English words "betide, begotten, benighted, bestride, becalmed, and beheld". Most people know their definitions, but the words have fallen out of normal usage.

As an example, he gave the following lines from an Argentine comedy group. It is difficult for me to understand why the lines are funny, but then I would have trouble explaining why Monty Python lines are funny to someone who doesn't speak English.

¡Firme! ¡Firme ante el enemigo!
¡Con coraje, Don Rodrigo!
Y Don Rodrigo firmó la rendición.
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