Learning Spanish

[Malagabob333]

Just browsing Spanish web sites I came across the Spanish for sunrise which is Salida de Sol.Why salida? Salida is I know exit, departure, motorway junction.It doesnt seem to fit the description of sun coming not going.

[fredpuli47]

Spanish is a language of which many of the words are derived from Latin. Salida is probably derived from from Latin ' salio', ( I jump or leap), not that the Romans used that verb for the sun rising.The meaning has evolved over time. The idea would be of the sun leaping above the horizon. (And of someone leaping off the motorway, off at the airport etc !)

[Clanad]

Spanish, maybe even more than English is a language of idioms. Your phrase in its fullest expression is said thusly: "La salida del sol" and uses the feminine "la salida" ...( in English, literally "at the appearance of the sun"... (at least in my extensive experience in Mexico and Central America). Salida, in this context has more of a meaning of movement... moving out, perhaps. In Spanish there's amarked difference between what we call sunrise as in your phrase, and dawn which is "El amanecer" using the masculine...

So... while dawn means first light, "Salir" the root for "salida" has more of a meaning of the sun moving out from first light to full sunrise on its journey for the day.

One might hear "El Sol esta a punto de salir"... "The sun is about to come out" illustrates more clearly the meaning of "salida" in this context...

A Ojo De Buen Cubero!