German for cotton is Baumwolle.
That means tree wool.
It’s my very favorite German word.
As Nava said, it’s actually para as in parar, to stop. Same idea as parasol, paracaídas (parachute, “stops falling” – the French parachute is the same idea), and parabrisas (windshield).
That’s just what I mean: they stick “Plaza” into the name as a fanciful element, like calling it “Madison Square Garden” or “Place Ville-Marie.” Doesn’t mean that “plaza” means a building.
Now, I don’t know if the name was taken because the owners wanted to sound fancy borrowing an English word borrowed from Spanish, even though the name is in Spanish, but you haven’t gone to Plaza las Américas*, have you?
It’s just, your posts reminded me of that (and some of her sisters, like Plaza del Caribe and Plaza del sol).
*The biggest shopping mall in the Caribbean, located in Puerto Rico. Their slogan is “Plaza, el centro de todo”. The other two are smaller shopping malls.
Haven’t been to Puerto Rico yet, so no. But I’ll join my WAG to yours, it sounds like that kind of thing. Reminds me of those ads for a string of English-language schools which have someone talking about taking a flight; every time she uses a word borrowed from English (and of course, being a pija she chooses the English word for anything whether there is a Spanish word or not), they add it to a list, and finally they say “you already know a lot of English! We’ll just teach you more of it.”
Pijo: someone who tries to be classy and fails miserably. Vicky Beckam, the Iglesias lot.
Another German one: Schweinfleisch. Literally, “pig meat”.
Also, Selbstmord: “self death”.
Wow, I never made that connection! That makes even more sense!
I always thought the name is based on cranberries growing where cranes are also found, ie. specific type of marshland. There’s a ton of just such plant names in Finnish, e.g. ‘grouseberry’, ‘squirrelsberry’, fox’s bread’ etc.
Schlatchfest = Slaughter Festival.
Schutzenfest = Shooting Festival.
Sounds like a horror film and shooting extravaganza, donit?
Kaufschmertz = Head (kauf) Schmertz - ache/pain.
Kaput = broken.
The funniest word to me in german is burgermeister. Meaning a mayor.
I blame the Heat Miser.
Not Burgermeister Meisterburger?