estela de muerte
/estela de mweɾte/from spelling rules
The English phrase "wake of death" is translated into Spanish as estela de muerte.
This phrase is used to describe a trail of destruction and loss of life that is left behind by a disaster or a violent event.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of estela (wake/trail), de (of) and muerte (death).
How do you pronounce it?
/estela de mweɾte/
Did you know?
- In Spanish, estela can be used to describe the scent left behind by a person's perfume as they walk past. This gives the word a sensory, atmospheric quality beyond its use in disasters.
- Spanish has two completely different meanings for the word estela. While it can mean a trail or wake, it also refers to a stone pillar or slab used as a monument.
Examples in context
- María está en el velatorio de su abuelo.Maria is at her grandfather's wake.
- El huracán dejó una estela de muerte a su paso por la costa.The hurricane left a wake of death in its path along the coast.
- La tormenta dejó una estela de muerte.The storm left a wake of death.
- Tras el terremoto, solo quedó una estela de muerte.After the earthquake, only a wake of death remained.
Example conversation
Two people are watching a news report about a natural disaster.
- MaríaMira las imágenes, es una estela de muerte.Look at the images, it is a wake of death.
- MateoEs terrible ver tanta destrucción, María.It is terrible to see so much destruction, María.
- MaríaTantas personas perdieron todo en un momento.So many people lost everything in a moment.
- MateoEspero que la ayuda llegue pronto, Mateo.I hope the help arrives soon, Mateo.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries de, estela, muerte, CC BY-SA 4.0.
