Galician Legal and Linguistic Terms Explained

Galician Vocabulary: Legal and Linguistic Explanations

Legal Terms

• Arrendamento: To let something for nothing, to rent.
• Desafiuzamento: To oblige someone to act or to leave a property they have leased.
• Xurado: Jury formed by laypeople.
• Formación Xurado: Jury formed by people without necessary legal training.
• Concelleiro: Councillor (member of a concello/council).
• Conselleiro Rexional: Regional Minister (member of the Xunta de Galicia).
• Sentenza: Sentence or penalty that must be fulfilled by the defendant.
• Camiño pequeno: Decision on whether the accused is guilty or innocent.
• Referendum: A consultation on some law or popular decision.
• Eleccións: Voting to elect political office holders.
• Indulto: Pardon of a sentence.
• Recurso: To ask for a revision of a sentence.
• Apertura: Itching paperwork for litigation.
• Preito: Reporting something or small disputes between people.
• Respecto: To accept a penalty.
• Apelación: To make a request to a higher court.
• Prerrogativa: To remove a decree or a law.
• Enfrontamento: A confrontation (face to face).
• Carga: To consider someone an author of a crime.
• Prevaricación: When a public official misuses their position, intentionally or interestedly.
• Compulsión: Physical, psychological, or moral coercion to make a person say or do something against their will.
• Chantaxe: Threat of public defamation or other harm to obtain a benefit from a person.
• Problema: A fact that constitutes the legal basis for a penalty corresponding to a crime.
• Aleivosía: Precaution taken by the delinquent to avoid risks.

Spelling Rules

Writing with 'V'

• After 'D': Use 'V' (e.g., adxetivos).
• Words ending in '-eve', '-ave', '-ovo': Use 'V' (e.g., breve, ave, novo).
• Verbs ending in '-versar': Use 'V' (e.g., versar).
• Words starting with the prefix 'div-': Use 'V' (e.g., dividir).
• Words with the prefix 'vice-': Use 'V' (e.g., vicepresidente).

Words with 'B'

• Automóbil
• Abel
• Bafo
• Baleiro
• Beira
• Billa
• Bolboreta
• Fibel
• Gabi
• Marabilla
• Móbil
• Nobel
• Rebentar
• Ribeira
• Trovador
• Polbo
• Ban
• Bretémaa
• Concebido
• Cilindro
• Butano
• Embigo
• Atribuíron
• Incumbente

Words with 'V'

• Avo
• Avoa
• Avogado
• Caravela
• Covarde
• Escaravello
• Esvelto
• Imposto
• Pabellón
• Trébedes
• Varra
• Varredoras
• Vasoira
• Vermello
• Verniz
• Buitre
• Voda
• Xavelina
• Positivo
• Rambleta
• Almirante
• Cóncavo
• Suave
• Conservar
• Tramo
• Advertir
• Subsidio
• Vulto
• Divorciáronse
• Bovino

Homophones

• Cilindro (cylinder) / Enrolar (to enlist)
• Bovino (bovine) / Boi (ox), Vaca (cow)
• Vela (sail) / Bela (beautiful)
• Abalar (to shake slightly) / Avalar (to endorse, guarantee)
• Nabal (turnip field) / Naval (naval, related to boats)
• Revelar (to reveal) / Rebelar (to rebel)
• Vago (vague, lazy) / Bago (berry, small fruit)
• Bounce (to bounce) / Voto (vote)
• Valor (courage) / Valor (fungus)
• Dobra feita (double-stitched) / Ancho (wide)
• Nobel (Nobel) / Novelo (ball of yarn)
• Vaca (cow) / Cola (tail)
• Ravo (edible herbaceous plant)

Writing with 'B' after 'M'

• Words like Colombo, cambio.
• Verb endings like '-mbos' (e.g., ambos).
• Before 'L' and 'R' (e.g., branca, obrigar).
• Words starting with 'bu-' (e.g., bulto, vulgar, burullo).
• Words starting with prefixes 'bi-', 'bio-' (e.g., bisavó, biografía).