Biological phagocytosis of Spanish

Apparently the UPN, the PP’s brand in Navarre, is doing deals with the PSOE, feeling itself fagocitado by the PP. Phagocytosis is the incorporation by a cell of solid particles, which it may then store or break down. A brief glance at CREA suggests that in Spanish the nouns fagocitosis, fagocito etc are almost exclusively used in a biological sense. Other parts of speech, however, are applied predominantly metaphorically in popular discussions of politics, football (eg, re the marginalisation in the media of “non-nationalist/traitorous” RCD Espanyol by “el poder fagocitador del Barça”) etc. How on earth did this usage arise in a country with such a limited scientific tradition, and where half the population has no post-16 education? It’s not like there are no easy alternatives.

Trevor @ 10 September 2008 1:48 PM

Categories

Related posts

• Schild en vriend
• Allen shite “not a decision even remotely connected with the Generalitat”
• Language education obligations
• Language use survey
• Traitors to the language

Previous/next post

Comments

1. Aidan Kehoe
   2:10 PM on 10 September 2008

   From a friend in IRC:

   <saimazoon> the article fails at mentioning that there’s another half of the population with post-16 education
   <saimazoon> that knows what phagocytosis means
   <kehoea> saimazoon, you’re saying that everyone in Spain with an education is familiar with the biological term, in the context of biology?
   <saimazoon> at least, we’re taught what that process is in secondary education
   <saimazoon> at high school
   <kehoea> oh
   <saimazoon> during the compulsory attendance years
   <kehoea> then, fair enough

2. Trevor
   2:47 PM on 10 September 2008

   Jesus H, on what planet does saimazoon live? How do I get a visa?

Feeds: RSS

Trackback link.

Tell me if the spam dragon gives you a hard time. Log in if you want to be really foul.