WordReference translates acullá as "yonder." Is this a word that was only used in the past, or is it still used in modern Spanish today? If so, what regions does it appear in and how is it used?
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2in Spain I've never heard that word, though it exists for RAE– JaviCommented Jan 18, 2012 at 17:26
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1I've just heard (more exactly read) in fairy tales and similar stories.– LauraCommented Jan 18, 2012 at 21:22
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2This word is from old Castillian. It's difficult to hear that expression in our times. Also, as César correctly says, I always hear it as that way: "por aquí, por allá, por acullá".– ArkanaCommented Dec 24, 2013 at 9:42
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My olders relatives also use it, eastern region of Spain.– LucasCommented Nov 21, 2014 at 13:59
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4 Answers
As others have said, this is not a commonly spoken word, but is found mostly in poetry and writing, perhaps especially used in folk and children tales. I would use "acá y acullá" as the equivalent of "hither and yon".
As an aside, The RAE defines "acullá" as
- adv. l. A la parte opuesta de quien habla. U. en contraposición a adverbios demostrativos de cercanía, como aquí o acá, y menos frecuentemente a los de lejanía, como allí o allá, de los que puede ser un intensivo.
So "l(ocative?) adverb. To the opposite part of the speaker. Used opposite to adverbs that demonstrate closeness, such as "aquí" or "acá", and less frequently to those of farness, such as "allí" or "allá", of which it can be an intensifier.
answered Apr 4, 2014 at 14:26
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1Just to update this answer, the new version of the DRAE defines the word as: "adverbio demostrativo culto. Allá o más allá. U. en contraposición a adverbios demostrativos de cercanía, como aquí o acá, y también a los de lejanía, como allí o allá, cuyo significado puede intensificar."– CharlieCommented Nov 7, 2016 at 7:55
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1@Charlie interesting that they list it as culto, it has always sounded rural to me (based on who I know uses it in actual speech). Commented May 17, 2019 at 21:58
I remember hearing acullá from my grandmother long time ago. She was looking for her comb everywhere in the house. My mother asked her:
¿Qué pasa? (What's wrong?)
And my grandmother answered:
No puedo encontrar mi peine aquí, allá ni acullá! (I can't find my comb here, there and yonder[?]!)
So my best guess is that acullá means más allá (over there maybe).
Spanish has six demonstrative adverbs. In order from nearest to farthest, they are aquí, acá, ahí, allí, allá, acullá. English has just three: here, there, yonder. That's why it translated it as yonder, as they are both the farthest from the speaker (incidentally, being from the [US] South, I use yonder in regular speech and so while allí sits on a grey area between my English there/yonder, allá and acullá would always be yonder for me).
Can't speak for other countries, but you will hear acullá ocasionally in the north of Spain (Asturias, especially).
answered Jun 22, 2014 at 21:13
It's a word only found in books and cartoons.
Her's an example in "Alice in Wonderland":
Oye ven, ¿Por dónde está la reina?
A veces por aquí y a veces por acá. Pero como yo soy gente importante siempre entro por acullá.
