If you are a fan of football (or soccer, as some people call it *looking dejectedly to the USA*), you probably know that the sport originated in England in the 19th century. But did you know that many of the words we use to talk about football in Spanish also come from English? In this article, we will explore some of the most common and curious examples of how English football terms made it into Spanish, and how they evolved over time.
One of the most famous and controversial words in football is orsai, which means offside. This word comes from the English phrase "off side", which refers to the position of a player who is closer to the opponent's goal than the ball and the second-last opponent. The word orsai was first used in Argentina in the early 20th century, when British immigrants brought the sport to the country. The word was adapted to the Spanish pronunciation and spelling, and soon spread to other Spanish-speaking countries. However, not everyone uses orsai to refer to offside. In some regions, such as Spain and Mexico, the word "fuera de juego" is preferred.
Another common word that comes from English is referí, which means referee. This word comes from the English word "referee", which is the person who enforces the rules of the game and makes decisions on the field. The word referí was also first used in Argentina, and then adopted by other countries. However, some people prefer to use árbitro, which is a more formal and traditional term.
A third example of an English football term that made it into Spanish is córner, which means corner kick. This word comes from the English word "corner", which is the point where two lines meet at a right angle. A corner kick is a type of restart that occurs when the ball goes out of play over the goal line and was last touched by a defender. The word córner was also introduced by British immigrants in Argentina, and then spread to other regions. However, some people use saque de esquina or tiro de esquina instead.
These are just some of the many words that show how English and Spanish have influenced each other through football. There are many more examples, such as gol (goal), penal (penalty), foul (foul), chutar (to shoot), driblar (to dribble), but I guess the latter one it's not very common in Argentina - here we say "gambetear", which I suspect comes from the Italian word for leg, "gamba".
If you are interested in learning more about these words and their origins, you can check out this website: https://www.futbolingles.com.ar/
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