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Old February 07, 2016, 01:38 AM
kimma kimma is offline
Opal
 
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Brisbane, Australia
Posts: 15
Native Language: Australian English
kimma is on a distinguished road
Vocabulary/etymology differences between English and Spanish

As I'm learning Spanish, I'm loving how many of the words have the same word roots as English words. Often though it's a fancy English word because the commonly used English word has come from a different language.

So I've been wondering if the 'fancy' word in Spanish is the common word, what are the actual fancy words? I have read that Spanish does absorb words from other languages but that like most languages the old ones get replaced. Is that true?

If there isn't another layer (or two) like there is in English, are they made up for with phrases and compound words? I am sure that Spanish has all the same nuances and breath of ideas that English does, but I'm only in the early stages of learning at the moment and the vocab is pretty basic.

I love etymology, if you can't tell. :)
Thanks!
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