Is it masculine or feminine in the dictionary?

[bleitzow]

I would like some clarification on how to tell if a word is masculine or feminine when using the dictionary. For example:

radio (http://www.tomisimo.org/dictionary/spanish_english/radio)
NF


radio
N



radio
NMF

I was taught it's "la radio" but this makes it look like it's both. Can someone explain please?

Thanks!

[Tomisimo]

Technically radio should be feminine, because it's short for radiodifusión, if I remember right. That said, many native speakers use la radio when speaking about the radio transmission or radio station, and el radio, when speaking about the electronic device for listening to the radio. I believe it varies from area to area.

[griffinqueen]

>< and they wonder why we have problems with masculino y feminino! here in Spain its "la radio" regardless. apparently it they also use the word radio for the spokes on the wheel of a bike. who knew!

[Tomisimo]

apparently it they also use the word radio for the spokes on the wheel of a bike. who knew!

Yes, that's right, radio means spoke (of a wheel), and it also means radius (as in math). :)

[griffinqueen]

HEY YEA!!! That makes a lot of sense, because the spoke of a wheel runs the length of its radius. Come to think of it, why do we use the word "spoke"? A veces, espanol esta mucho mas logico que ingles (I apologize for the lack of accents).

[sosia]

radio
femenino:
- radio (transmisión, difusión) por radio, on the radio
- radio (aparato receptor): set, radioset

Masculino usado en
-Geometria: radius
-Química: radium
-Anatomía(hueso): radius
-De rueda: spoke
-Espacial: radius, area
-radio de acción, field of action, scope
-de un barco, avión) operational range

Also as verb: Radiar (transitive)
- (desde una emisora) to broadcast
- Física to radiate, irradiate
- Medicina to treat with X-rays

Saludos :D

[Josef]

Here is one explanation of the orgin of "spoke" for a wheel I found:

"The term originally referred to portions of a log which had been split lengthwise into four or six sections. The radial members of a wagon wheel were made by carving a spoke (from a log) into their finished shape. Eventually, the term spoke was more commonly applied to the finished product of the wheelwright's work, than to the materials he used."

Seems history has a lot to do with how our languages change. So, location and usage are just some of the problems with maintaining complete mastery of any language, native or not.

[Tomisimo]

Technically radio should be feminine, because it's short for radiodifusión, if I remember right. That said, many native speakers use la radio when speaking about the radio transmission or radio station, and el radio, when speaking about the electronic device for listening to the radio. I believe it varies from area to area.

radio
femenino:
- radio (transmisión, difusión) por radio, on the radio
- radio (aparato receptor): set, radioset


Sosia is right, but my above post is just from personal experience, especially in Mexico.

[Tomisimo]

Here is one explanation of the orgin of "spoke" for a wheel I found:

"The term originally referred to portions of a log which had been split lengthwise into four or six sections. The radial members of a wagon wheel were made by carving a spoke (from a log) into their finished shape. Eventually, the term spoke was more commonly applied to the finished product of the wheelwright's work, than to the materials he used."

Seems history has a lot to do with how our languages change. So, location and usage are just some of the problems with maintaining complete mastery of any language, native or not.

Nice. Etymology and history is very interesting IMO.