[ExI] Impending Newtonmass...

[Stefano Vaj]

On Wed, Dec 24, 2008 at 4:33 PM, Filipe Sobreira
<warlordbcm1 at yahoo.com.br> wrote:
>>"Navidad" obviously comes from the Latin for "nativity", and nothing
> but contemporary antonomasia suggests of whom. Ones should not confuse
> meaning with usage.
>
> Ok, then. Fair enough. But as a Brazilian and familiar with the Spanish
> language (cause I've studied, since here in Brazil we speak portuguese,
> another latin derived language), I must warn that "Navidad" doesn't mean
> anything for the spanish besides "Christmas", regardless of how anybody try
> to resort to the original ethimology of the word. BTW, in portuguese
> Christmas is "Natal" wich comes from 'natalício' wich means "birthing time".
> In both cases the meaning is just implicit.

Absolutely, exactly the same as Natale in Italian. But this is at the
same level of "Enjoy your meal translates Bon Appetit that translates
Hitadakimasu". Only, in the same circumstances, French people wish a
healthy appetite (to enjoy your meal better), and Japanese say "I am
about to eat" in humble form (so that you are welcome to enjoy your
meal).

And there is nothing wrong in knowing what you are *actually* saying,
especially as you would be lost in finding where enjoyment is ever
mentioned in the French or Japanese formula, and as Navidad, Natal or
Natale might tomorrow end up referring (again by antonomasia) to the
birth of - who knows? - HAL 9000, while the word "Christmas" is
forever tainted by its literal reference to the "Anointed" messiah of
christianism.

Stefano Vaj