I mean really, which of us would like to see a culture whose language that gave us "barbecue, burrito, cocaine, hammock, salsa, siesta, taco and, of course, tequila" disappear, think of what else they may add to Fridays if they're left at it.

Icon, because mono-culture is bad

English is already fragmenting into different dialects and in 100 years I suspect the English we know will have been replaced by several different languages evolving their own ways – despite the influence of USA films and TV shows

Worth looking into Melvyn Bragg's "The Adventure of English" - to show just how English keeps changing

IT terms being assimilated in spanish form is not a bad thing at all, at the end of the day most of those were invented by english talking people and did not exist before.

I do not remember cervantes using the word "modem" when he wrote "Don Quijote de la Mancha"

I want to know too. If only to have a handy word for "irrelevance squared".

basically consists of inserting as many English words in a sentence as possible. The Spanish are totally obsessed with learning English.

It happens in all languages. I can sit on the metro, surrounded by Finns, Swedes, Russians and Estonians, and understand pretty much the bulk of what they're saying - because I can sometimes understand a few words of their languages, and often because every second or thrid word they use is either a direct loan-word or - particularly among the young - some sort of English-corruption slang word. It's actually quite sad, when I ask a local for a word and I get a corrupted English word. I have to ask again, "Yes, but what's YOUR word for that?" And they think for a moment, and only THEN do they remember that they had an original word in their own language. I'm all for international communications but there's something to be said for a rich cultural diversity too.

Yes, I think that anonymous Hungarian professor was right. All languages evolve but this isn't evolution - it's mutation. Ditto the monoculture comment.

@the author:

What is actually the point of your article?

Are you pissed off at the spaniards saying "blogosfera"? are you happy? do you have a copyright on words? what's your point?

The terms you consider "newbies" have been around for decades, maybe you have just started learning spanish and believe that the language is growing with you but...

"Briks de leche" are called like that because they come in what used to be called "TetraBrik" ("in 1963 the company introduced Tetra Brik, a rectangular carton" - from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tetra_Pak). So that's us using a swiss trademark name which in turn borrowed a bastardisation of your "brick" word.

We have the word "Paquete" (Packet) but we don't do bundles, instead we just do boxes full of things (with games, playstations, tequila, whatever). Does it bother you if we borrow the word "pack" it to promote "bundles"? otherwise we'll have to use paquete which can also be understood as men's genitals (maybe not nice to print in big letters).

Regarding acronyms and initialisms. What do you suggest we do about this then? Shall we turn...

DVD into DDVV (disco de video versatil)

GPS into SDPG (sistema de posicionamiento global)

IP into PI (protocolo internet, and also 3,1416)

HTML into LDMDHT (Lenguaje de Marcado de HiperTexto)

LCD into PCL (Pantalla de cristal liquido)

MP3 into ??? MP3 (Mocion Pintura Expertos Capa 3????)

PC into CP (Computador personal) or OP (Ordenador personal)

PIN into NDIP (Numero de identificacion personal)

Internet into Redinternacional

Modem (modulator demodulator) into Modem (modulador demodulador) ????

Maybe that would make things easier for everyone:

Imagine the DVD consortium having to design a logo for each different country

or recruiters looking for people with HTML skills in foreign countries having to learn an array of "multi-cultural initialisms"

or having scientists quarreling in the lab about who's the real PI, Internet or maths

or a company wanting to order some PCLs from a British manufacturer

or Sony thinking for the Spanish Betamax name...Betamaximo!!!.

As I said, I totally fail to see the point of this article. Sounds to me like a very retrograde observation you're making here and reminds me to a grafitti I saw yesterday on the street next to "una shop de ordenadores", it said: "Technology is a Cancer".

@snafu:

I'd have thought it is quite handy for us to say "chatear" as it already implies that is being done across the Internet and in text form, whereas "charlar" is still understood as the act of verbally talking to someone. Otherwise we'd have to say "charlando en el chat/ charlando por internet" which would be a waste of time better spent on siesta.

Paris Hilton because she would provide us with this sort of journalism if she only knew how to use a pen.

It's not "angloisms", it's "anglicisms"

Did you notice that list of words "barbecue, burrito, cocaine, hammock, salsa, siesta, taco and, of course, tequila". They are all about eating, drinking, sleeping - something. What do we give them in return: technology and work. So they have fun. We have work.

Yeh! Makes you depressed being a northern European.

Was Lester just trying to copy/parody/whatever the BBC's article about Franglais?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/7221918.stm

... slow day, indeed...

@Carlos

Completely agree with you. It's plain stupid to try to translate acronyms for each and every language.

Besides, "blogosfera" is a perfectly adapted word, both in grammar and pronunciation... it's not the first time that happens in Spanish, you know? (jardín, anyone?)