This month we’ll learn three different meanings, and translations, of the word indio.
 (1) INDIO AS INDIAN
The term indio, when used in reference to the inhabitants or cultural practices of India, can be straightforwardly translated as Indian:
 Venerar a las vacas es una típica costumbre india.
Worshipping cows is a typical Indian practice. (2) INDIO AS ABORIGINAL When indio is used to refer to the descendants of the original inhabitants of the Americas, it can be rendered into English as aboriginal: El gobierno quiere integrar las comunidades indias al sistema educativo.
The government wants to incorporate aboriginal communities into the educational system. (3) INDIO AS FOOL The idiomatic expression hacerse el indio can be translated as play the fool: El pequeño Tomás se ha pasado toda la mañana haciéndose el indio.
Little Tomás has spent all morning playing the fool. |