Updated official Spanish dictionary now accepts tuit, hacker, chat, SMS, 'bloguero', 'USB' and more

MADRID -- Not everyone is ecstatic at the invasion of new words, particularly from the English, worming their way into Spain's official dictionary. But that always happens at the Real Academia Española de la Lengua, defender to the death of the Spanish language ('to the death' because you're honoured with membership until you die). It's taken thirteen years for the new version to appear with almost 5,000 new entries and over 22,000 modifications to existing ones. This, the 23rd edition, appeared in its paper version on Thursday, October 16, and was presented to King Felipe VI on the following day.//The Academy's greatest challenge was to get up to date with the language of computers, IT and the Internet -- most of which are originally English, of course. This after all, is the only Spanish-speaking country that uses the word ordenador instead of computadora for 'computer'. Computadora was first used for 'calculator'. But then, there are very many Spanish words used almost exclusively in Latin America (some 19,000). Here are some of the new words accepted by the RAE (with a daring bit of translation or interpretation):

Cameo                  A cameo role

Dron                     Drone

Precuela                Prequel

Cortoplacismo       'Corto plazo' means short term, so 'shortermism'

Externalizar           Externalise/Externalize

Hacker                  You know this one

Audioguía             Audio guide (as in museums)

Hipervínculo         Hyperlink ('Link' is under study -- see below)

Identikit                Trans. not needed

Friki                      Freaky -- usually identifies a particular dress & attitude or style

Impasse                 Mexican standoff in the US

Medicalización      You can guess...

Maturópata            Natural therapist

Positividad            Positivity

Serendipia             Serendipity

Spa                       The same as in English (Ahhh, lovely!)

Tuit                       Tempted to trans. as twit, but it means tweet as in Tweeter

Red social              Social network, or media

Bloguero               Yours truly: blogger

Chat                      Presumably not over the back fence...

Espanglish            Yes, Spanglish, given the Spanish impossibility of pronouncing words starting with S and followed by a consonant.

SMS                      Text message

Tableta electrónica Tablet, of the electronic kind

Canalillo               Possibly colloquial for the space between women's breasts

Orgásmica             Yes, a great pleasure

Peñazo                  Person or thing that is boring or bothersome

Manga                   An old entry for 'sleeve'; now it describes Japanese comics

Cenetista               Belonging or relative to the CNT, a Spanish union

Papamóvil             Special Papal vehicle -- a bit late, Pope Francis hardly uses his

Isidril                    Belonging to the festivity of San Isidro

USB                      The port you need more of

Sociatas                 Old style Socialists, a pejorative term

Guista                   Grúa means crane or tow truck, so this is the person who drives one

Femicidio              Homicide of a female, or 'femicide'

Bótox                    Botox, but you knew that

Mileurista              Person who only earns €1,000 p/m,, also a bit late since there are all too many people earning well below that

Multiculturalidad   'Multiculturality'

Other words are under study, including link, cronopio, clicar, teocentrismo, identitario, choni, retroalimentar, vintage, pibón, táper o whatsapp. I can but gues what some of them are, but the last one I hear used almost every day under my window, by the youngsters -- it's what your kids in Spain and continental Europe (maybe even the UK?) are using all the time and I will be when I get a phone that can cope with it!