Firelighters

[Perikles]

Not asking for a translation here, just an explanation. I have here a packet of firelighters with their name in 4 languages. I can understand the logic behind their names in English, French and German : Firelighters/Allume Feu/Kohlenanzünder. But why the Spanish Pastillas de encendido? Surely Pastillas de encender would be expected?

[Rusty]

In AmE, these are called 'fire starters', although some try to combine the two words. It looks like 'fire lighters' is also used in the UK.

Here are some of the translations I found, in order of usage:
pastillas de encendido
pastillas de encender
enciendefuegos
pastillas prendefuego
pastillas de encendio

[Perikles]

OK - thanks. I can understand all of those except the 'encendido' one. It makes no sense.

[Rusty]

Are you using 'ignition' as the translation of encendido?

ignition pellets

[Perikles]

Originally Posted by Rusty

Are you using 'ignition' as the translation of encendido?

ignition pellets

Ah - I didn't realize encendido was a noun. I thought it was the past participle of encender. That explains my bafflement. Thanks - what a stupid thread. But it's a strange noun.

[AngelicaDeAlquezar]

Originally Posted by Perikles

But it's a strange noun.

No, it isn't. There are plenty of past participles that we use as nouns:

El encendido de la tele.
El entramado del cuento.
El manuscrito de la novela.
El botón de apagado.
El escrito que entregué en el juzgado.
Le garantizamos un aspirado perfecto.
Tengo un resfriado horrible.
El jardinero le puso una buena podada a mis plantas.
Le di una pegada al libro para que no se deshoje.
(To the hairstylist) ¿Me puedes dar una despuntada en el cabello?
...


(And it wasn't a stupid thread either.)

[Perikles]

Originally Posted by AngelicaDeAlquezar

No, it isn't. There are plenty of past participles that we use as nouns:....(And it wasn't a stupid thread either.)

Well, I've never really thought about this. Spanish is much weirder than I thought.

[Don José]

Originally Posted by AngelicaDeAlquezar

There are plenty of past participles that we use as nouns:

El hecho es que eso es muy cierto.

[Perikles]

Originally Posted by Don José

El hecho es que eso es muy cierto.

Can anybody give me a linguistic explanation for this?

Does this happen in English? Now that's a thought. But that is logical because it is something which has been thought. Equally, hecho is logical because it is something which has happened in the past. The encendido is not logical, because the encender is in the future.

[Don José]

What about a notebook of thoughts? Thoughts can be written in the future.

[Perikles]

Originally Posted by Don José

What about a notebook of thoughts? Thoughts can be written in the future.

No way! That is a future perfect passive - things that will have been thought.

[AngelicaDeAlquezar]

Cheers, Perikles! Following the same logic, ours are all actions that will have been or have been performed/accomplished/done/made...

[aleCcowaN]

Originally Posted by Perikles

The encendido is not logical, because the encender is in the future.

It's the purpose, my dear friend, not the time the barbecue is scheduled.

The whole thing is exactly as illogical as English speaking people saying -in English- "me gusta nadando" or "no es algo de su gustando".

Everybody mix up "un trazado regular" with "un regular trazado", which are .... exactly the same! (No native speaker would see a verb there)

[Don José]

Originally Posted by Perikles

No way! That is a future perfect passive - things that will have been thought.

Pastillas de encendido: "pastillas" that will have been "encendidas".