This week’s post will be especially useful to midwives, OBs, and nurses serving expecting Hispanic women. You know the joy of walking women through a very special season of their lives and being a part of new lives entering
the world. We hope Understanding the Guatemalan Patient helps you to communicate clearly so you can do the best possible job with your important work.
give birth (v.)
alentarse, dar luz, dar a luz, componerse
calf (of the leg) n.
camote, pantorrilla (more formal), posta (also means a cut of meat)
back
espalda, rabadilla, lomo
In 2014, you got a taste of the 600+ terms found in the Spanish-English section of Understanding the Guatemalan Patient. As we step into 2015, we’re excited to share some of the entries in the English-Spanish section. Don’t want to wait? You can hold all of these words in your hands within days by purchasing your book on Amazon.
May your 2015 be full of new learning experiences, more fun with words and great people with whom to share them!
Without further delay, here is your first “word(s) of the week” for 2015:
altitude sickness
mal de montaña [lit. mountain sickness]
varillas
f. fontanelle; “Se le cayó las varillas” is an expression meaning a child’s fontanelle is sunken. In folk medicine, this situation can be caused by sitting a baby up when he is too young and is treated by holding him upside down and patting the soles of his feet or by pressing on his palate. Also treated by “palaguear” with “Miel de Chicoria” (Chicorium intybus) on the gauze.
uñero
m. ingrown toenail
tirar el caite
v. to die; lit. “to throw the sandal”; “caite” is used commonly in Guatemala and El Salvador to mean “sandal”.
tapar
v. to cover; “Me tapa la respiración,” means “I can’t breathe.”
riñones
m. kidneys, commonly thought to be the cause of lumbar pain
quedar privado
v. to become unconscious [slang usage]
Understanding the Guatemalan Patient 