Past participles in Spanish as a noun in English

[JPablo]

Escrito originalmente por Perikles

Yes, we have a small stove which burns wood, and I use one of these cubes to start the fire (for wood, you only need one - for barbecue charcoal, you need many more). The packet clearly says "pastillas de encendido" which made no sense to me.

The packet also has the warning in several languages: Atención: Sólido inflamable. What a surprise

Dicccionario de la Real Academia:

Encendido
3. m. Acción y efecto de encender. El encendido de las luces, del fuego.

When we talk about "acción" y "efecto" de "encender", of course, we are talking about what "verbs" are all about, but also "nouns", as "efecto" would be a result. Whether in the past, the present or the future.

Those "pastillas", are able to perform the "action" of "encender", in order to create the "effect" of something burning.

Maybe I have not delved too deeply on all the posts of this thread, but to me (being a Spaniard), I still don't see what is not making sense...

Maybe the answer to this conundrum is the "efecto" part of the definition...

[Perikles]

Escrito originalmente por JPablo

Dicccionario de la Real Academia:

Encendido
3. m. Acción y efecto de encender. El encendido de las luces, del fuego.

When we talk about "acción" y "efecto" de "encender", of course, we are talking about what "verbs" are all about, but also "nouns", as "efecto" would be a result. Whether in the past, the present or the future.

Those "pastillas", are able to perform the "action" of "encender", in order to create the "effect" of something burning.

Maybe I have not delved too deeply on all the posts of this thread, but to me (being a Spaniard), I still don't see what is not making sense...

I find it illogical that the past participle is used for a result which could be in the past, present or future. I can't help comparing it to Greek which would have a future infinitive to express something which will happen in the future. It is no good telling me it is simply a noun - to me pastillas de encendido reads as cubes of lit and not cubes for lighting. It is interesting that I have trouble explaining why I see a difficulty here.