Wednesday, 6 March 2013

Silla


Today's WOTD is: "silla" = chair
Image source: Google images



In Spanish, “silla” is a feminine noun of Latin origin, which means chair. Besides its main meaning of chair, the Spanish noun “silla” may be used to refer to a saddle. Related to this second meaning is the action word/ verb “ensillar” which means to saddle up.




Some commonly used expressions with the word “silla”or related words are:
  • Caballo de silla (saddle horse);
  • Falta una silla (we are one chair short);
  • Juego de la silla (the musical chairs game);
  • Juez de silla (chair umpire);
  • Nariz en silla de montar (saddle nose nose- deformity);
  • Pegársele a alguien la silla (to overstay/ abuse hospitality);
  • Respaldo de la silla (chair back);
  • Silla anfibia (amphibious chair/ swimming pool lift/ aquatic lift);
  • Silla de cordero (rack of lamb);
  • Silla curul (curule chair);
  • Silla de la reina (queen's chair*);
  • Silla de madera (wooden chair);
  • Silla de manos (sedan chair);
  • Silla de montar (saddle);
  • Silla de pala (school chair);
  • Silla de paseo (stroller/ pushchair/ baby buggy);
  • Silla de peluquería (hairdressers chair);
  • Silla de playa (beach chair);
  • Silla de ruedas (wheel chair);
  • Silla de tijera (folding chair);
  • Silla giratoria (swivel chair);
  • Silla eléctrica (electric chair);
  • Silla plegable (folding chair);
  • Silla para bebé (child seat);
  • (Silla) poltrona (armchair/ easy chair);
  • Silla turca (Turkish saddle/ sella turcica);

*NB A type of chair used mainly in a game of the same name. The game is played by three players. Two of the players link their arms to form a chair on which the third player sits. The players forming the chair sing a rhyme, at the end of which they let go at their hands, thus dropping the player sitting on the chair.

Some examples of the use of the word "silla" are:
  • El caballo de silla se suele utilizar en deportes equestres (saddle horses are commonly used in equestrian sports);
  • Falta una silla para poder sentarnos todos a la mesa (we are short of one chair in order to be able to sit all at the table);
  • El juego de la silla es el título de una película (Musical Chairs is the title of a film);
  • El juez de silla puede corregir las decisiones de un juez de línea (the chair umpire may overrule a line umpire call);
  • La nariz en silla de montar es una deformidad nasal (saddle nose is a nasal deformity);
  • Me voy, no vaya ser que se me pegue la silla (I am going, I don't want to overstay my welcome);
  • Me apoyé en el respaldo de la silla (I leaned against the chair back);
  • La piscina dispone de silla anfibia (the swimming pool is fitted with a pool/ aquatic lift);
  • La silla de cordero asada está riquísima (the roast rack of lamb is very nice);
  • Parece una silla curul auténtica (it has all the looks of a real curule chair);
  • ¿Jugamos a la silla de la reina? (shall we play the “queen's chair” game?);
  • Se vende juego completo de mesa y sillas de madera (for sale a complete set of table and wooden chairs);
  • Parece una silla de manos auténtica (it has all the looks of a real sedan chair);
  • Se vende silla de montar en buen estado (for sale saddle in good condition);
  • En nuestra aula de español hay sillas de pala (in our Spanish classroom there are school chairs);
  • Se vende silla de paseo en buen estado (for sale stroller/ pushchair in good condition);
  • Esa silla de peluquería es muy cómoda (that hairdressers chair is very comfortable);
  • Esas sillas de playa son muy cómodas (those beach chairs are very comfortable);
  • Accesos adecuados a quienes se desplazan en sillas de ruedas (wheelchair accessible facilities);
  • Esa silla de tijera es muy cómoda (that folding chair is very comfortable);
  • Esa silla giratoria es muy cómoda (that swivel chair is very comfortable);
  • La silla eléctrica es un método de ajusticiamiento (the electric chair is an execution method);
  • Esa silla plegable es muy cómoda (that folding chair is very comfortable);
  • Se vende silla para bebé en buen estado (for sale child seat in good condition);
  • Esa (silla) poltrona es muy cómoda (that armchair/ easy chair is very comfortable);

Love-Spanish.com loves the word "silla" in the YouTube clip: Silvio Rodriguez - Historia de la Silla

For more on the word "silla", visit: Wordreference.com/es/en/ Silla

*NB 'Click' on the speaker icon next to the word “silla” in the link to hear the word pronounced.

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