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Omelette and diminutives

 

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  #1
Old February 22, 2009, 07:32 AM
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Question Omelette and diminutives

You wouldn't believe some of the crazy things I think I want to be able to say in Spanish. I'm just about to go downstairs to make myself an omelette. Huevos, quesa, cebollas chinas, tomates .... mmmm....

So I wondered how one would say "omelette" in Spanish. I even went to the RAE (I'm getting less and less scared of it........)

I keep coming up with "tortilla de huevos", which makes sense to me (I suppose). But when I looked up "tortilla" in RAE the entry starts like this:

tortilla.
(Del dim. de torta).

So, is it saying that "tortilla" is a diminutive form of "torta" (cake?)? Hmmm? Really? So it's like I'm eating a little egg cake?
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  #2
Old February 22, 2009, 07:57 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by laepelba View Post
You wouldn't believe some of the crazy things I think I want to be able to say in Spanish. I'm just about to go downstairs to make myself an omelette. Huevos, quesa, cebollas chinas, tomates .... mmmm....

So I wondered how one would say "omelette" in Spanish. I even went to the RAE (I'm getting less and less scared of it........)

I keep coming up with "tortilla de huevos", which makes sense to me (I suppose). But when I looked up "tortilla" in RAE the entry starts like this:

tortilla.
(Del dim. de torta).

So, is it saying that "tortilla" is a diminutive form of "torta" (cake?)? Hmmm? Really? So it's like I'm eating a little egg cake?
Strangely enough, even if it does not mean that, you can say it could have derived from it.

Consider this.

Chico - chiquilla
Chica - chiquilla

There are many instances of this (illa/o) termination used as diminutive.

I am more accustomed with terminations (tito-ito/a)

Remember what I told you about the gastric juices?

Hernan
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  #3
Old February 22, 2009, 08:00 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by chileno View Post

Remember what I told you about the gastric juices?

Hernan

Oh, yeah - and you oughta taste this omelette.......... mmmmmmmmm........
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  #4
Old February 22, 2009, 08:08 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by laepelba View Post
Oh, yeah - and you oughta taste this omelette.......... mmmmmmmmm........
My moth just watered!!!!!!!!!!
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  #5
Old February 22, 2009, 09:14 AM
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Laopelda Torta is not the diminutive of Tortilla.


Torta meaning other thing for example Torta is a sandwich.

Greetings.
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  #6
Old February 22, 2009, 09:24 AM
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Hang on ... can sandwich (in English) also be "sandwich" (in Spanish)? That's how I learned it.



So, in Spanish, this is both a "torta" and a "sandwich"?
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  #7
Old February 22, 2009, 09:25 AM
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Oh, and just to tease Hernan's gastric juices a bit, I'll throw in a pic of an omelette for good measure:

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  #8
Old February 22, 2009, 12:26 PM
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@Lou Ann: "Torta" means a kind of sandwich only in Mexico (and only in Mexico "tortilla" doesn't mean a sort of omelette). In other countries it usually means "cake", and yes, in a sense, even in other languages, an omelette can be understood as a little egg (salted) cake.

Your sandwich picture is a "sándwich" in Mexico. "Torta" needs a thicker bread, and more typical ingredients.... but I wouldn't be bothered about it.
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  #9
Old February 22, 2009, 01:41 PM
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I agree with Angelica.
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  #10
Old February 24, 2009, 02:24 PM
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I thought it was spelled as omelet.
By the way, we learned in Spanish class that in Spain, "tortilla" is an omelet.
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  #11
Old February 24, 2009, 02:45 PM
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Tortilla is a think frittata type omelette in Spain made with eggs and potatoes. I'm sure you know that tortilla in Mexico is a flat corn or wheat flour bread used in enchiladas tacos and burritos. Sandwich in Spanish is sandwich or bocadillo(in Spain). Bocadillo in other countries may refer to
a kind of candy made with dulce de leche(cajeta) and guava paste.
I think the official word for sandwich in Spanish is emparedado, but I have
never seen it anywhere except in dictionaries
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Old February 24, 2009, 02:55 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jchen View Post
I thought it was spelled as omelet.
By the way, we learned in Spanish class that in Spain, "tortilla" is an omelet.
There are two spellings for that word: http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Omelette
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  #13
Old February 24, 2009, 03:04 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by poli View Post
Tortilla is a think frittata type omelette in Spain made with eggs and potatoes. I'm sure you know that tortilla in Mexico is a flat corn or wheat flour bread used in enchiladas tacos and burritos. Sandwich in Spanish is sandwich or bocadillo(in Spain). Bocadillo in other countries may refer to
a kind of candy made with dulce de leche(cajeta) and guava paste.
I think the official word for sandwich in Spanish is emparedado, but I have
never seen it anywhere except in dictionaries
Quote:
Originally Posted by laepelba View Post
There are two spellings for that word: http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Omelette

Omelet would be hispanized (is that a word?) of omelette which is french.

Tortilla is like poli described . Sliced potatoes and egg, that might have chorizo, especially one that is called riojano.

@Sosia, can you send me a riojano, No hay aqui en USA. :/

I am hungry again....
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Old February 24, 2009, 03:09 PM
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Yes. I agree with Poli. Tortilla in Mexico is a kind used in Tacos or kinds of food never it will be an omelet.

Sandwich is a Torta in my country and emparedado is a Sandwich with candy inside of the breads .

I hope you have understood me.
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Old February 24, 2009, 04:00 PM
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My story.......

I recently traveled to Mexico via Aero México from Chicago. It was an early flight (breakfast flight) and when I was approached by the flight attendant about what I would like to order for breakfast, my two choices were:

Panqués........which I understood perfectly for Pancakes

AND

Omelete........ for which my brain did a 360 flip and I could literally see the avenues of my brain being accessed for information since I didn't know what she was referring to....

I opted for the panqués (most popular choice amongst travelers on this flight) and half-way through the flight I felt my "light-bulb" go on and I knew what omelete was.

I don't think there is a word in Spanish for Omelet other than torta de huevo or huevos en torta.
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Old February 24, 2009, 06:16 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by chileno View Post
Omelet would be hispanized (is that a word?) of omelette which is french.

Tortilla is like poli described . Sliced potatoes and egg, that might have chorizo, especially one that is called riojano.

@Sosia, can you send me a riojano, No hay aqui en USA. :/

I am hungry again....
Sí hay tortillas españolas preparadas aqui en EEUU--that is if you consider New York to be part of the United States
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  #17
Old February 24, 2009, 07:01 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by laepelba View Post
There are two spellings for that word: http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Omelette
oh I never knew there were two spellings. thank you :P
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  #18
Old February 25, 2009, 08:11 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by poli View Post
Sí hay tortillas españolas preparadas aqui en EEUU--that is if you consider New York to be part of the United States
I'd love to go to NY. You people have everything there! :-)

And they say L.A is cosmopolitan... My foot!
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