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Joined: May 2001
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stranger
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OP
stranger
Joined: May 2001
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I got into an argument with a spanish speaking friend about the usual english vs spanish debate and he stumped me with 'coqueta'. I wonder if there is an exact english equivalent for this. 'Flirt' is not satisfactory, i think. There is 'coquette', which is kind of dated, but i'm sure there is something more current?
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Pooh-Bah
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Pooh-Bah
Joined: Jun 2002
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I guess it all depends on what the Spanish word really means. Coquette isn't the same as flirt, but coquette may be the best word. Otherwise you're reduced to one or more of the four-letter appellations for females of relatively easy virtue ...
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jun 2002
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Flirt as a noun is ok, but maybe "tease" is a bit more current. I would still use coquette, actually!  welcome!
formerly known as etaoin...
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jun 2001
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A flirty tease. A smiling, attractive, eyelash-batting flirty tease, but not necessarily of easy virtue. I have heard "coqueta" used in Mexico in describing very young girls anywhere from a year old to old ladies in their nineties. "ĦAy! Mirala, que coqueta." It's all in the tone of voice and context.
There are many words that do not translate exactly from one language to another or even from one country to another that both speak the *same language, ie Mexico and Spain. The cultures are different and what one culture may be able to indicate with one word and a lift of the brow or inflection of voice might take a paragraph of descriptive writing in another just to give a vague idea of what that one word means. ĦQue vive la diferencia!
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Joined: Jan 2001
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addict
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addict
Joined: Jan 2001
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the four-letter appellations for females of relatively easy virtue ...
Such as minx? Or vamp? These are probably more appropriate if the attention-seeking is simply the means to a more devious end. Coquette is, unsurprisingly, most likely to be closest to a direct translation. I imagine there would be some term based in mythology if the attention is the end unto itself - Siren, Nymph - Nabakov's nymphette?
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Joined: Oct 2001
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enthusiast
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enthusiast
Joined: Oct 2001
Posts: 247 |
I got into an argument about ... the usual english vs spanish debate
What is the "usual" english vs spanish debate, anyway?
There may be more to debate about that than there is about "coqueta".
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Joined: May 2001
Posts: 4
stranger
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OP
stranger
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 4 |
Sorry for taking so long to return. The 'usual" argument usually runs along these lines. My friend is trying to tell me something, and invariably there is an extremely effective word in spanish, and he insists that there is no equivalent in english. So i end up breaking my head over it, mostly because a lot of these words are culture and/or context specific. I've noticed that the words that trouble me the most are words describing people.
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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Yes, this is a frequent lament. That's why I love Spanglish.
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Joined: Nov 2000
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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Consuelo is right on! It's all in the intonation.
I still use coquette - but then I am old and often "recidivist" in my word choices.
I think it would be more like "heart-breaker" if you meant a woman of any age who was pretty/beautiful/handsome; who had a "way about her" and who is a bit of a flirt either intentionally or not.
However, never meant as a woman of easy virtue!
We would say of a beautiful female child - one that is usualy smiling at you - "She will be a heart breaker when she grows up."
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Joined: May 2001
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stranger
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OP
stranger
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well considering all the opinions i think that if i need to use this word, i would rather say 'a coquettish girl' rather than 'coquette'. i feel that the spanish word is not (that much) derogatory, but the common english equivalents definitely are. But anyway, its fun to try to get your head around these differences in language.
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