The year 2021 is coming to an end and it’s time to take stock. Over the year professional translators have continued to play an important role (some would say a very important role). Words have been our great allies. There are all kinds of words: romantic, technical, slang, etc. That’s why this year we have decided to choose the word that has made the greatest impact on us (in one way or another).
Candidates for Spanish word of the year
There are many candidates for word of the year, although there can only be one winner. We want to share with you the favourite words from 2021, as chosen by professional translators.
1. Negacionista (Denier)
It may seem incredible, but 2021 has been the year of denial, especially in relation to everything to do with Covid-19. When it comes to medical translation, more than one text translated has involved this word that creates so many problems.
2. Normalidad (Normality)
The long-awaited normality, yet to arrive, has once again been the subject of debate in society. In our translation company we have also felt this throughout the year. It is a word that continues to appear from time to time in customer emails and in texts that need translation for advertising brochures, websites and more. Let’s hope that the normality we so crave arrives sooner rather than later!
3. Piroclastos (Pyroclasts)
Environmental disasters, such as the volcano erupting on La Palma, have brought our attention to beautiful words such as “pyroclasts”. Although we love this word, we want to send all our love and support to the thousands of people affected by the volcanic eruption on La Palma.
4. Pasaporte (Passport) (in relation to Covid)
2021 has allowed many people to fulfil their dreams to again travel in a more normal way, without masks or excessive restrictions. However, this year the word passport has been used for very different reasons. The Covid passport has allowed people to enter places of entertainment or bars by proving that they have had their vaccinations.
5. Criptomonedas (Cryptocurrencies)
One of the advantages professional translators have is that our work is always varied. For example, in the world of financial translation we have recently had to work in several new areas, one of them relating to the world of cryptocurrencies. Do you think that in the future we will all end up paying with bitcoins, ether or other digital currencies?
