Last weekend while watching the Super Bowl someone accidentally sat on the remote, inadvertently causing the television to become bilingual and give us the play-by-play in Spanish. While we were attempting to remedy the situation, the announcer used the Spanish word "castigo," which means "punishment" during a particularly brutal tackle.
The English word castigate clearly has similar origins.* The verb is used to describe the severe reprimand or punishment of someone or something. If you're boss or significant other just chewed you out for the last half hour, saying you were castigated sounds way better than simply "getting yelled at."
Fred was going to castigate that mutt; after a year of obedience school Spot was still chewing up the sofa cushions when no one was home!
Knowing her mother was already going to castigate her for sneaking out her bedroom window past curfew, Lydia decided to continue partying even after the sun rose.
*The good folks at Dictionary.com have informed me that both words come from the Latin word "castigatus" which is derived from two other Latin words together referring to "making someone pure by correcting or reproving them." Who'd a thunk it?!?!
Sergio del Limonar
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