Hi there!
I have a question about the correct form to use these words "brackets" and "braces" in an orthodontic contex. I have a friend that laughs when I told about my orthodontic treatment because I told to him that I wear brackets, so he told me "parentesis" in Spanish.
If you search on Google "brackets" or "braces" you can see both forms and Google doesn't make any correction,
What do you think about that?
I'm sorry if my text is wrong but I'm learning English
Hola Luisa,
No es una cuestiĂłn de si la palabra "braces" es correcta y "brackets" no; (he oido "brackets" de vez en cuando), sino dĂłnde utilizan esa expresiĂłn.
En el inglĂ©s britĂĄnico, (estoy hablando muy en general de la forma de inglĂ©s utilizado en muchos paĂses angloparlantes), "braces" tambiĂ©n significa tirantes, para sujetar los pantalones. Sin embargo, los americanos dicen "suspenders". CuĂĄndo un americano me hizo un comentario sobre mis "suspenders" (tirantes), no me reĂ de Ă©l, pero entendĂ que no estaba hablando de las ligas que sujetaban mis medias, - suspenders en inglĂ©s britĂĄnico - (y no, ÂĄno las llevo!)
La moraleja de esta historia es ten en cuenta con quien vas a hablar o en cuĂĄl paĂs vas a estar. Incluso en Australia, una caña (de cerveza) tiene una traducciĂłn diferente segĂșn el estado/ciudad. Phil hace un comentario sobre 'the usual Spanish word "bracas"', lo cual es interesante, porque aquĂ, en España, se dice "un aparato". ÂżQuiĂ©n lleva la razĂłn? Depende de dĂłnde eres. No estoy aquĂ para discutir con los profes, sino guiarte por los problemas de un inglĂ©s que no tiene un estĂĄndar universal. Incluso el acento y la pronunciaciĂłn varĂan muchĂsimo, y es por eso que intento enseñar inglĂ©s con acento y pronunciaciĂłn neutral, para que los alumnos tengan mĂĄs posibilidades de hacerse entendidos en cualquier lugar.
Espero que ese te ayude.
Saludos, y perdona si hablo como un gringo... ¥o como se dice en España, un guiri!
SimĂłn.
@Phil and @Paul, here is a Yahoo Answers discussion between Americans, where the use of bracket is used exactly as I described it;
https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20111016074316AAFl9Lp
Hello, again, Luisa. Your friend was right to laugh ;) In answer to your question, I would guess that the two English words “braces” and “brackets” probably do share an etymological relationship, and they do have similar meanings, but I can tell you that they are certainly not interchangeable.
As far as using translators / two-way dictionaries, I just looked up “echar” on Google translate and got 48 different translations. If you look them up in a dictionary, you’ll find that they are not interchangeable at all. Interestingly, the first “translation” listed is “to cast,” a verb that is not at all that common in everyday English conversation. You could also look up “abrigo” which will give you “coat,” “protection,” and “protection” — none of which are interchangeable.
Your English is good enough that you should start using a monolingual (English only) dictionary. My favorite on-line dictionaries are the Oxford and the MacMillan, both of which allow you to choose British or American usage (default is UK, but you should be able to choose American by looking for the appropriate word or flag). Here’s the definition of “brackets:”
http://www.macmillandictionary.com/us/dictionary/american/bracket_1
To my knowledge, I would use "brace" to describe my teeth are under correction as a English learner, and seemingly, a bracket is used for holding my cell phone in my car. Whereas, your discussion really inspire me to see these 2 words again and thanks for the answer by Luisa.
