espalda

Asturian

Etymology

From metathesis of Vulgar Latin *spatla, from Late Latin spatula (“broad, flat piece”), from classical Latin spatha.

Noun

espalda f (plural espaldes)

1. back

Related terms

• espada

Ladino

Etymology

From Old Spanish espalda, from metathesis of Vulgar Latin *spatla, from Late Latin spatula (“broad, flat piece”), from classical Latin spatha.

Noun

espalda f (Latin spelling, plural espaldas)

1. (anatomy) back

Old Spanish

Etymology

From metathesis of Vulgar Latin *spatla(m), from Late Latin spatulam, accusative of spatula (“broad, flat piece”), from classical Latin spatha.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /esˈpalda/

Noun

espalda f (plural espaldas)

1. (anatomy) back
   • c. 1250, Alfonso X, Lapidario, f. 106r:

     […] la uertud de figura de mugier con alas que eſte leuantada en pie. ⁊ con los cabellos luengos echados atras. ⁊ eſparzidos ſobre las eſpaldas.

     the virtue of the figure of the winged woman who is standing on one foot, her hair long and drawn back, and spread over her back.

Related terms

• espada

Descendants

• Ladino: espalda (Latin spelling)
• Spanish: espalda

Spanish

Sense 1

Etymology

Inherited from Old Spanish espalda, from metathesis of Vulgar Latin *spatla, from Latin spatula (“broad, flat piece”) (compare Catalan espatlla (“shoulder”), French épaule (“shoulder”), Portuguese espádua (“scapula, shoulder”)), diminutive of Latin spatha (“straight sword”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /esˈpalda/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -alda
• Syllabification: es‧pal‧da

Noun

espalda f (plural espaldas)

1. (anatomy) back

   Synonym: espaldar

2. (swimming) backstroke

   Synonym: dorso

Derived terms

Related terms

Further reading

• “espalda”, in Diccionario de la lengua española, Vigésima tercera edición, Real Academia Española, 2014