Spanish Language Stack Exchange is a question and answer site for linguists, teachers, students and Spanish language enthusiasts in general wanting to discuss the finer points of the language. It only takes a minute to sign up.
Sign up to join this community
"-Ear" is a suffix that productively forms verbs, as "tutear" from "tú" or "zapatear" from "zapato."
My question is: when is this suffix used over just plain "-ar" and vice versa? For instance, "abanicar" is formed from "abanico" and "viajar" from "viaje." So why are the words not "guerrar" instead of "guerrear" or "telefonar" instead of "telefonear"?
ESPAÑOL (English follows)
Se emplea el sufijo "ear" en la formación de un infinitivo para expresar la repetición de una acción o su reiteración.
Este es el caso para los ejemplos que propones:
Zapatear: Dar golpes (más de uno) en el suelo con los pies calzados.
Tutear: Hablar a alguien empleando el pronombre de segunda persona. Con su uso se borran todos los tratamientos de cortesía y de respeto (no es una cuestión puntual, sino reiterativa).
Cuando este sufijo "ear" se amplía a "otear", aparte de repetición o reiteración, el significado de la acción adquiere un matiz peyorativo.
Pisotear: Pisar repetidamente, maltratando o ajando algo.
Fregotear: Fregar deprisa y mal.
En general, y en caso de duda, puedes pensar en la palabra que representa la acción (o acto de), y si termina en "eo" casi siempre corresponderá con un infinitivo que acabe en "ear".
Zapateo -> zapatear
Tuteo -> tutear
Pisoteo -> pisotear
Fregoteo -> fregotear
Para más información, visita este enlace:
Centro Virtual Cervantes: Cuestiones Gramaticales
ENGLISH
The suffix "ear" is used in the formation of an infinitive to express the repetition (more than one time) of an action or its reiteration (multiple times).
This is the case for the examples you propose:
Zapatear: Beating (more than once) on the floor with shod feet.
Tutear: Talk to someone using the second person pronoun. With its use, all treatments of courtesy and respect are cleared (it isn't a point issue, but repetitive).
When this suffix "ear" expands to "otear" besides repetition or reiteration, the meaning of the action takes on a pejorative connotation.
Pisotear: Depress repeatedly, abusing or rumpling something.
Fregotear: Wash up quickly and badly.
In general, and when in doubt, you can think of the word representing the action (or act), and if it ends in "eo" almost always correspond to an infinitive that ends in "ear".
Zapateo -> zapatear
Tuteo -> tutear
Pisoteo -> pisotear
Fregoteo -> fregotear
For more information, visit this link:
Virtual Center Cervantes: Grammar Questions
