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A.Word.A.Day--salver

salver (SAL-vuhr) noun

A serving tray.

[From French salve, from Spanish salva (tasting of food to detect presence of poison), from salva (save), from Latin salvare (to save). Another term for this former practice of sampling food is credence.]

"Among the items allegedly stolen were a silver salver that was a Christmas gift to a royal princess in 1826, and is presumably of great value."
T.R. Reid, Britons Left to Ponder: Did the Butler Do It?; Diana's Servant Charged in Theft, The Washington Post, Aug 17, 2001.

Ever wonder why Ecuador is named so? In Spanish, ecuador is the term for equator. And guess where Ecuador is situated on the globe? I learned many such fascinating tidbits when I signed up for a Spanish 101 class. I discovered learning a new language opens the horizons to another culture.

From mosquito to parade to plaza, hundreds of terms from Spanish are now in everyday use in the English language. This week we'll take a look at a few other words in the English language that have their origins in Spanish. ¡Hasta mañana! -Anu Garg

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