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Hello, #Vivers! In the entry that we bring you today, we tell you the origin of a word that I am sure that all students of Spanish courses in Spain have used at some time: the name of the country where they are located.

The origins: Spanía and Hispania

the greek word Spain It is recorded for the first time in the XNUMXst century BC. C. The geographer Artemidorus of Ephesus used it as a variant of the Greek Hispania, which passed into Latin as Hispania. At that same time that name was used by Julius Caesar, who distinguished the Hispanic later, beyond the Ebro River, and the Citerior Hispania, south of the Ebro River. After the union of the kingdoms of Castile and Aragon with the wedding of the Catholic Monarchs, the name of Hispania It began to be used heavily for the country.

The origin of the word is not known with certainty. It is believed that it may come from Punic Isephanim, which in this language spoken by the Phoenicians of Carthage meant “island or coast of rabbits”, because the rabbit was a very abundant animal in Andalusia. The Phoenicians founded the oldest city in the West, Cádiz, 3000 years ago. On Roman coins from the time of King Hadrian, Spain was represented as a seated lady, with a rabbit at her feet. Furthermore, the Roman poet Catullus called the Iberian Peninsula Cuniculosa Celtiberia, which meant more or less “Celtiberia, the Hutch”.

Other possible origins of the word

However, some authors claim that the origin of the word is Celtic, because it is related to the fact that the plain region of the Iberian Peninsula has a shape similar to the palm of the hand, which was called chip in the Celtic language, and it is possible that this is the origin of the word Hispania.

There are also other hypotheses about the origin of the word Spain, although they are less credible. For example, the word chip from the Phoenician language, which meant “hidden, hidden.” It is possible that chip derived from the Hebrew word xaphano (hide), because Spain was a distant and hidden country.

Source: The origin of words. Illustrated etymological dictionary. Ricardo Soca.

If you are interested in studying Spanish courses in Spain, in the Luis Vives Spanish School we offer you Spanish classes for all levels. They will surely adapt perfectly to your needs. Luis Vives Spanish School The best option to learn Spanish in the heart of Madrid!

The word of the day: "Paella"

By Administrator

May 8, 2023

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Live and study in Spain

Hello #Vivers! Many of our students of Spanish courses in Madrid have told us that they have tried paella. However, very few have been able to tell us the origin of this word.

And you? Do you know why it is called paella? If you are interested in knowing the origin of this word, in this article you can find out some curiosities about it.

As you already know, paella is a dry rice dish, with meat, fish, seafood, legumes, etc., typical of the Valencian Community.

This popular Valencian dish and famous throughout the world that we know as paella took its name from old French paele, which came from Latin limpet (similar to a large metal plate). That is, the Valencian word paella It has been taken from the name of the pan where it is prepared and thus came to Spanish around the year 1900, which replaced the old name that this dish had: “Valencian rice”.

One last curiosity: limpet of the Latins also reached us through padilla, a name that the Dictionary of the Royal Spanish Academy explains is currently out of use, which refers to a small frying pan.

Source: The origin of words. Illustrated etymological dictionary. Ricardo Soca

Surely one of the reasons why you want to come to Spain is to eat authentic Paella, as well as other typical dishes of our country, right? If you are looking for a Spanish course in Madrid to learn to speak Spanish fluently like a native and improve your grammar, stop by. Luis Vives Spanish School and take a look at the Spanish classes that we offer, they will surely adapt perfectly to your needs. Luis Vives Spanish School The best option to learn Spanish in the heart of Madrid!

The word of the day: "Beer"

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May 3, 2023

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Hello #Vivers! The weekend is approaching and also with spring weather that invites students who come to learn Spanish in Madrid to go out and have some very cool beers on one of the many terraces in our city.

But do you think they know the origin of this refreshing drink? And the origin of the word "beer"? And you? Do you know it? If you have ever wondered, in our new entry on Luis Vives' Spanish blog we tell you.

The origin of beer

When we talk about beer or ask someone where beer comes from, the first thing many people say is that its origin is from central Europe (Germany, Belgium, Czech Republic...). The issue is that in several Sumerian documents from the year 4000 BC. C. there was talk about a fermented cereal drink in Mesopotamia. In Babylon, beer consumption was so great that it forced King Hamurabi to legislate it, in his code, which sought to protect drinkers against dishonest tavern keepers, so it became the first consumer protection law in history. .

Some interesting anecdotes and legends about this drink:

In Chaldea (a region of Mesopotamia), the inhabitants offered beer to the gods as tribute.

According to some stories, when Nebuchadnezzar (king of Babylon) got bored with his concubines (lovers), he used to kill them by drowning them in beer.

Already in the Roman Empire, Pliny (Roman knight) said that the Gauls (French) called Cervesia to drink and brasce to the grain that was used to make it. So, brasce gave rise in French to brewer(beer maker) already brasserie (brewery).

During the Middle Ages, monks brewed the best beers, which in Latin were called cerevisiaemonacorum and to this day they are made in some European countries under the name “abbey beers”.

From the almost complete Cervesia from the Gauls (French) derived cervoise, as the drink was called for several centuries in the French language.

The first references in Spanish come from the XNUMXth centuries, as beer, and XVI, already with the current form beer.

The French beer, the Italian beer, English beer and the German Beer come from latin bottle (to drink).

Well, now you can surprise all your friends by telling them some of these anecdotes while you enjoy a few beers, but don't forget to drink wisely and above all: if you drink, don't drive!

Source: The origin of words. Illustrated etymological dictionary. Ricardo Soca

And if you are looking to learn Spanish in Madrid to learn to speak fluently like a native and improve your grammar, stop by. Luis Vives Spanish School and take a look at the Spanish classes what we offer. They will surely adapt perfectly to your needs. Luis Vives Spanish School The best option to learn Spanish in the heart of Madrid!

Book's day

By Administrator

April 29

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Live and study in Spain

Hello, #vivers! Last week, like every year on April 23, Book Day was celebrated. To commemorate it, that day we carried out different activities with the students of our Spanish teaching academy: reading fragments of some of the most famous books of Spanish literature, talks about recommended books in Spanish...

The celebration of Book Day begins at the beginning of the 23th century. On April XNUMX, International Book Day is celebrated around the world. In Spain and several Latin American countries this day is celebrated.

On April 23, 1616, the two greats of literature in Spanish and English, respectively, Miguel de Cervantes and William Shakespeare, died. Also on April 23, other eminent writers such as Vladimir Nabokov, Josep Pla or Manuel Mejía Vallejo were born (or died).

For this reason, this very symbolic date for universal literature was chosen by the General Conference of UNESCO to pay a global tribute to the book and its authors, and to promote and encourage the discovery of the pleasure of reading and respect for the contribution of writers to social and cultural progress in our society.

The origins of Book Day

The original idea of celebrating Book Day was born in Catalonia, when the Valencian writer Vicente Clavel André proposed it to the Official Book Chamber of Barcelona in 1923 and it was finally approved by King Alfonso October 1926 was the first Book Day.

A few years later, in 1930, the date of April 23 was definitively established as Book Day, coinciding with Saint George or Sant Jordi, patron saint of Aragon and Catalonia. It is tradition that loved ones exchange a rose and a book that day.

The origin of this curious Catalan festival is a mix of traditions from different eras. On the one hand, Sant Jordi has been the patron saint of Catalonia since the XNUMXth century. On the other hand, the famous legend of Sant Jordi and the dragon, where the knight defeated the dragon that frightened the people and the princess; When he pierced it with his sword, beautiful red roses sprouted from the body of the beast. Sant Jordi took one and gave it to the princess.

The Cervantes Prize

In addition, this day the most important literary prize in Spanish is awarded, the Cervantes Prize, which is delivered in the Auditorium of the Cisneriana University of Alcalá de Henares. This year 2021 has been received by the writer Francisco Brines. Both last year and this year, the ceremony has been canceled due to the pandemic.

If you are interested in Spanish culture and would like to know more curiosities like these, don't miss the next entries in our spanish blog. And if you are looking for a Spanish teaching academy in Madrid, don't hesitate, at Luis Vives Escuela de Español, we have the best Spanish classes, adapted to your needs and for all levels. Luis Vives Spanish School The best option to learn Spanish in Madrid!

The origin of the word "Christmas"

By Administrator

April 4

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Hello #Vivers! Next Friday, December 21, the long-awaited Christmas holidays arrive, a period that the students of our Spanish school for foreigners in Madrid take advantage of to rest and share good times with friends and family, but do you know the origin of the word "Christmas"? Keep reading the new entry on Luis Vives' Spanish Blog where our teacher Yara explains the origin of this word and some more curiosities related to Christmas.

The origin of Christmas

The word Christmas comes from latin Natīvītas, abl. Nativitate, which means “Nati”: birth, “vita”: of life and “te”: for you. Translated into Spanish: “birth of life for you.”

This festival, known as Christmas Day, began to be celebrated in the year 440 AD. C. That year, the Roman bishops decided that December 25 would be the day of Jesus' birth, although Jesus Christ was not born on December 25. In fact, the Bible does not explain an exact time or date of Jesus' birth.

This day replaced several pagan celebrations that the Romans celebrated on the winter solstice (such as the Natalis Solis Invicti, in Latin, or the festival of the Invincible Rising Sun, in Spanish, or the Saturnalia). The Christians added a religious meaning and the name was changed to Christmas.

Among the ancient Romans it was customary to give each other three dried figs decorated with bay leaves and olive twigs on New Year's Eve. Also some small lamps (bronze, for the rich; clay, for the poorest), on which some legend was usually written with wishes for the year that was beginning. Apparently, our custom of giving each other gifts on Christmas Day or on "Three Kings' Day" in Spain comes from this custom.

Christmas tree

The custom of the famous Christmas tree arose in Germany during the first half of the 680th century. According to a traditional account, when the British missionary Saint Boniface (755-1483) was preaching on Christmas Day, he attempted to destroy the sacredness of the oak and cut down one. The oak, when it fell, knocked down all the bushes around it except a small fir tree. This was interpreted as a miraculous divine message, and it was called at that very moment "Tree of the Child Jesus." The event was very important among German Christians and, since then, the custom of decorating a fir tree for Christmas began. Centuries later, Martin Luther (1546-XNUMX) instituted the custom of decorating it with lit candles.

One last curiosity: many times we have seen the word written Christmas in English (Christmas) in abbreviated form (Xmas), because this is because the letter X is the Greek abbreviation for Christ.

Sources: Very interesting magazine and website of the Diocese of the Canary Islands.

If you are looking for a Spanish school for foreigners in Madrid to learn to speak Spanish fluently like a native and improve your grammar, stop by. Luis Vives Spanish School and take a look at the Spanish classes what we offer. They will surely adapt perfectly to your needs. Luis Vives Spanish School The best option to learn Spanish in the heart of Madrid!

The word of the day: "Siesta"

By Administrator

March 30th, 2023

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Hello #Vivers! Many of the students in our Spanish classes for foreigners tell us that one of the things that Spain is best known for in their country is the custom of taking a nap.

“nap” is probably one of the most international words in our vocabulary. Thus, it has been transferred to languages as diverse as English (siesta), French (sieste), German (siesta), Danish (siesta), Hungarian (szieszta) or Polish (sjesta)...

What is the nap?

It refers to the time dedicated to resting after eating, between three and five in the afternoon and comes from the Latin sixta, which means “the sixth hour of the day” and corresponds, approximately, to noon among the Romans.

As we have mentioned previously, the nap is a time of rest and relaxation, which allows you to regain strength for the afternoon, thereby significantly increasing performance. We all need time to rest throughout the day.

For many years, the Nordic countries considered that people who took naps (preferably Spaniards and Italians) were truly lazy. For this reason, taking a nap after eating was considered inappropriate for hard-working and industrious people, but what they did not know is that it is scientifically proven that a nap of no more than 30 minutes improves general health and prevents stress. In addition, it promotes memory and learning mechanisms.

To enjoy a nap you can sleep for a while, but relaxing or simply stretching for a few minutes can also be considered a kind of short nap. The nap is related to our “biological clock”: brain and physical activity decreases every four hours and to renew it, the body needs a few minutes of rest, which corresponds to the time of the mid-afternoon nap.

It is advisable to take a nap after an excessive meal, to promote digestion and regain strength before resuming activity. It is also very convenient in times of work pressure or if you feel tired or sleepy while driving during a trip.

Advantages of the siesta

The main advantages of taking a nap are:

Improves the feeling of general well-being.
Increase vitality
Reactivates reflections.
Improve our level of attention.
Increase the efficiency of our work.
Reduces the risk of cardiovascular accidents.

So now there is no excuse not to take a “nap” after eating. Sweet dreams!

Sources: Wikipedia and kioskea.net (under Creative Commons license).

Learn Spanish and enrich your vocabulary with the Spanish classes at the Luis Vives Spanish School and take a look at the courses that we offer, they will surely adapt perfectly to your needs. Luis Vives Spanish School The best option to learn Spanish in Madrid!

The Fallas of Valencia

By Administrator

February 27

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Live and study in Spain

Hello #Vivers! The Valencia Fallas are coming! and at Luis Vives Escuela de Español we do not want to miss the opportunity to tell you what this famous and spectacular celebration consists of. Below we explain what Las Fallas are and present some basic vocabulary about these festivals, so that you can discuss it with your classmates in Spanish courses and show off that you know Spanish culture.

Las Fallas are one of the most popular festivals in Spain. Many of the students in our Spanish courses ask us about them and some even dare to experience them in first person. It is a tradition deeply rooted in the city of Valencia and also in other towns in the Valencian Community. They are celebrated in March, although they officially begin on the last Sunday in February.

Currently, this festival has become a very important tourist attraction, and has been declared of International Tourist Interest. They are also called Josephine festivals or Sant Josep festivals (in Valencian), since they are celebrated in honor of Saint Joseph, patron saint of carpenters.

The origin of the festival

The origin of the Fallas festival dates back to the ancient tradition of the city's carpenters, who on the eve of the festival of their patron saint, Saint Joseph, burned old junk in front of their workshops, in the streets and public squares. useless along with the wooden contraptions they used to raise the lamps that illuminated them while they worked in the winter months. For this reason, the day of the cremà (the moment in which the "ninots", the Fallas monuments, burn) always coincides with the 19th, the Festival of San José.

The central theme of the festival is the burning of the ninots (marionettes or dolls), which are enormous statues made of papier-mâché, wood, paper mache and plaster. Ninots usually represent satirical scenes and recent events. For example, in recent years a very popular topic has been political corruption and famous Spaniards. The creation of the ninots, which requires a lot of work and can sometimes cost more than €60.000, is usually the responsibility of neighborhood associations and their construction usually lasts an entire year.

As for the name, “Las Fallas” literally means “the flames” in Valencian.

During the Fallas, Valencia transforms into a city dedicated to its party, music and gunpowder. The Fallas are the fire festivals par excellence and the city is dyed the color of flowers and gunpowder to welcome spring and more than a million visitors, who between the music of the bands and the roar of the mascletàs travel through the Fallas monuments.

Some of the most important elements of these holidays

The Fallas of Valencia. He fails. Spanish classes. — **Fallera with the typical costume**

The Fallas of Valencia. Mascletá. — **Fallera with the typical costume**

The Fallas of Valencia. Ninots. Spanish classes. — **Ninots**

The Fallas of Valencia. Fireworks. — **Ninots**

The Fallas of Valencia. Cream. Spanish classes. — **The cream**

In your country is there a similar celebration or one in which fire is the central motif? Do you dare to describe it to us? Tell us in a short essay and attach an image if possible.

Don't forget that to learn Spanish it is very important to learn its culture, the Hispanic culture. In Luis Vives Spanish School We know it and that is why we integrate culture into our Spanish courses. If you want to learn Spanish in Madrid, contact contact with us and we will help you!

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Hello #Vivers! Carnival is approaching, one of the many festivities that students who come to receive Spanish classes in Madrid can enjoy.

Carnivals have become one of the most international festivals, conquering the hearts of people for generations. Its common characteristic is that it is a period of permissiveness and a certain lack of control. Illusion, costumes, colors, paintings, masks, dances, songs, lots of fun and, above all, the Carnival parades. All of this marks the character of the festival, but what is the origin of this traditional festival?

The origins of Carnival

Although the true origins of Carnival are still unknown, historians estimate that the first celebrations that would later take the name Carnival took place years before the birth of Christ and have their origins in festivals related to agriculture. It seems that farmers gathered in summer with masked faces and fully painted bodies, around a bonfire, to celebrate the fertility and productivity of the soil, or to ward off evil spirits from the harvest.

The first carnival celebration is located in Egypt. The party was nothing more than dancing, singing, and the participants wore masks and costumes as a symbol of the nonexistence of social classes. Later, the tradition spread to Greece where there was the custom of riding a boat with wheels (carrus navalis) and people danced all kinds of dances, around the 5.000th century BC. Also in Rome, numerous pagan festivals were held around the god. Bacchus, the god of wine, which is more than XNUMX years old.

These ceremonies had one point in common. They were associated with spiritual and astronomical phenomena and natural cycles. Likewise, they were manifested through expressions such as dance, chants, satire, masks and disorder. In a society with so many social differences, the festivals met the need for freedom for everyone. Rich and poor mixed together during the carnival, without recognizing each other under the fabric and masks of the costume.

Carnival Expansion

As a result of the expansion of Christianity, it gained momentum and the festival acquired the name carnival, with the main reason being to say goodbye to eating meat during the time of Lent. The etymology and origin of the word carnival indicates that it comes from the Italian term 'carnevale' and this in turn from the Latin 'carnem levare' whose meaning is carnem (meat) and levare (remove): to remove the meat.

Quickly, the carnival reached Venice, and from there, it spread throughout the world. Little by little, its characteristics were shaped, depending on the customs of each country. Each city incorporated the habits of its culture. But, in general, carnival is defined through masks, costumes, floats, parades and dances, something common in all celebrations, regardless of the place where the Carnival celebration takes place. In fact, currently the Venice carnival is one of the best known in Europe. The tradition began when the nobility began to dress up to go out and mix with the people. The masks are the most important element of this characteristic carnival. Since then, this tradition spread throughout Europe, and later throughout Latin America thanks to Spanish and Portuguese navigators, starting in the XNUMXth century.

Carnival today

One of the places in the world where Carnival is most famous is Brazil. All cities take to the streets to worship Carnival to the rhythm of samba. It is one of the most spectacular parades organized worldwide. According to the Guiness Book of Records, the largest carnival celebration in the world is in Rio de Janeiro. Other internationally famous carnivals are those of Barranquilla in Colombia, Oruro in Bolivia, Venice in Italy, Veracruz and Mazatlán in Mexico, and Cádiz and Tenerife in Spain.

Above all, carnivals are about fun… a lot of fun!

Text adapted from: www.guiainfantil.com/articulos/celebraciones/carnaval/la-historia-del-carnaval-para-los-ninos

If you are looking for Spanish classes in Madrid to learn to speak Spanish fluently like a native and improve your grammar, stop by. Luis Vives Spanish School and take a look at the Spanish classes what we offer. They will surely adapt perfectly to your needs. Luis Vives Spanish School The best option to learn Spanish in the heart of Madrid!

Spanish academies in Madrid - The Spanish blog - Curiosities about the Madrid metro

Did you know what?: Curiosities about the Madrid metro

By Administrator

January 20, 2023

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Live and study in Spain

Hello #Vivers! Madrid residents are very proud of their public transport network and specifically of their metro. Students who come to study Spanish in Madrid soon realize that on the metro they can go practically to all parts of the city without having to use the car. Did you know that the Madrid metro is one of the oldest and largest in the world? If you want to know this and any other curiosity, be sure to read this article in our “Did you know…?” section.

The Madrid metro. Did you know…?

The works to install the metro network in Madrid began on September 19, 1916. Three years later, King Alfonso XIII inaugurated this modern means of transport.
The first Madrid Metro ticket cost 15 cents each way. The hours of operation were from 6:20 in the morning until 2:00 in the morning.
The length of all lines amounts to 324 kilometers, making it the seventh longest metro network in the world behind Moscow, Tokyo, Paris, London, Shanghai and New York.
The station where the most lines converge is at Avenida de América with four in total. The line with the most stations is number 1 with 33 stops, but the one that travels the longest distance is line 12, making a total of 40,96 kilometers.
One of the distinctive features of the Madrid Metro is that its trains run on the left, when most Spanish railway infrastructure runs on the right.
The Alto del Arenal station (line 1) is much more important than it seems, since it is home to the Central Post that controls everything that happens in the Madrid underground.

Learn Spanish language and culture and much more information like this in the Luis Vives Spanish School. If you want to study Spanish in Madrid, take a look at the Spanish classes what we offer. They are sure to adapt perfectly to your needs. Luis Vives Spanish School The best option to learn Spanish in Madrid!

Spanish academies in Madrid - The Spanish blog - Dar pumpkins

give someone pumpkins

By Administrator

January 19, 2023

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Learn Spanish

Hello #Vivers! Have you ever heard this expression? Have they given you pumpkins or have you ever given pumpkins to someone? The students in our Spanish classes for foreigners find this a very curious expression. If you want to know more about this expression, in our new article we explain its meaning and origin.

This expression means "to reject someone lovingly." In the 1780 edition of the Academy's Dictionary, this meaning is found for the first time, specifically defined as "women rejecting a boyfriend's proposal."

Gonzalo Correas, in his «Vocabulary of sayings and proverbial phrases«, suggests that it has its origins a few centuries ago. At that time, those who learned to swim used gourds (as floats, under their arms) that they abandoned or "threw aside" when they were already able to move in the water without them.

To explain the relationship between love rejection and pumpkins, there are those who allude to the anti-aphrodisiac character attributed to them by the ancient Greeks, so that giving pumpkins would be an invitation to abandon love affairs.

In monasteries of the Middle Ages, pumpkin seeds were used in rosary beads to ward off lascivious thoughts. Furthermore, the pumpkin is a fruit that is very apparent on the outside but not very dense and not very tasty. In that sense it is usually contrasted with the melon, which is the symbol of fertility, abundance and luxury.

And you, have you given pumpkins or have they ever given you pumpkins? If you want to learn many more expressions like this, come to the Luis Vives Spanish School and take a look at the Spanish classes for foreigners that we offer. They are sure to adapt perfectly to your needs. Luis Vives Spanish School The best option to learn Spanish in Madrid!