What did Spaniards and Mexicans think of the computer known as "FRIEND"?

[Foebane]

It's just occurred to me that with a computer system named after the word for "friend" in a specific language, that it would be especially popular in those countries with that language. So, how well did the Amiga sell in Spain and Mexico (if it sold in the latter country at all)? I wonder how conversations about the Amiga go in those countries? Can any Spanish speakers here share anecdotes about this aspect of the Commodore Amiga?

[malko]

I don't speak Spanish but I have been said that names with a "a" at the end are of the female form. Male form end with a "o".
If this is correct, Amiga would means "female friend" and Amigo "friend".

[Foebane]

Originally Posted by malko

I don't speak Spanish but I have been said that names with a "a" at the end are of the female form. Male form end with a "o".
If this is correct, Amiga would means "female friend" and Amigo "friend".

I'm going by the Google Translate result: "amiga" from Spanish to English means "friend".

[gimbal]

I don't really know why the conversations or the popularity would be different than other parts of Europe just because the name happens to be a known word... The Amiga was everyone's friend, regardless. Because of the software and the hardware, not because of the name.

[Predseda]

Originally Posted by Foebane

It's just occurred to me that with a computer system named after the word for "friend" in a specific language, that it would be especially popular in those countries with that language. So, how well did the Amiga sell in Spain and Mexico (if it sold in the latter country at all)? I wonder how conversations about the Amiga go in those countries? Can any Spanish speakers here share anecdotes about this aspect of the Commodore Amiga?

And the name of the mother company, meaning the naval rank in English, doesnt bother you? Come on...

[Foebane]

Originally Posted by Predseda

And the name of the mother company, meaning the naval rank in English, doesnt bother you? Come on...

I never thought of that, although I knew the naval meaning.

[Predseda]

So now you have your answer.

[tolkien]

Originally Posted by Foebane

I'm going by the Google Translate result: "amiga" from Spanish to English means "friend".

Amiga in spanish is a girl that is your friend.
Amigo is the male version

[malko]

Have also checked translate.google.com : FR to ES or UK to ES

Edit: thanks tolkien. you were faster

Edit2 : The "female friend" of the "naval officer of high rank" (in particular an officer in the US Navy or Coast Guard ranking above captain and below rear admiral.)
Origin -> Late 17th century probably from Dutch komandeur, from French commandeur ‘commander’.

[Foebane]

Originally Posted by tolkien

Amiga in spanish is a girl that is your friend.
Amigo is the male version

Oh, I know the "amigo" word, I've heard it countless times in movies and TV shows.

[Leandro Jardim]

Originally Posted by tolkien

Amiga in spanish is a girl that is your friend.
Amigo is the male version

There is the same word in portuguese too, with the same meaning.

But I have been told that amiga in spanish is the same as "girlfriend" in English!? So if this thread is right this is not true.

On the other hand, girlfriend in portuguese is called "namorada".

Originally Posted by malko

I don't speak Spanish but I have been said that names with a "a" at the end are of the female form. Male form end with a "o".
If this is correct, Amiga would means "female friend" and Amigo "friend".

The same rule with a/o also exist in portuguese.

I remember when I was studying English at school, it was fun that some words in English like "teacher" can be used for the two genres. In portuguese, there is the word "professora" for a female teacher and "professor" for a male teacher.

[tolkien]

Originally Posted by Leandro Jardim

There is the same word in portuguese too, with the same meaning.



But I have been told that amiga in spanish is the same as "girlfriend" in English!? So if this thread is right this is not true.



On the other hand, girlfriend in portuguese is called "namorada".







The same rule with a/o also exist in portuguese.

No. You can have a female friend (Amiga) and you can have a girlfriend (Novia).

[Leandro Jardim]

Originally Posted by tolkien

No. You can have a female friend (Amiga) and you can have a girlfriend (Novia).

Sorry, I have seen that error so many times that I was sure that amiga had that meaning in spanish. Thinking about it better, it is a strange error really, but I never thought in looking the real meaning of it in the Google Translator.

EDIT: Hmm. So I think this is the first anecdote about Amiga in this thread. Sorry this was not my real intention, I was unlucky this time... I think that was actually a pitfall.

[tolkien]

Well...We sometimes use the word "Amiga" (between quotes) when we speak about a girl that is our girlfriend but dont want other people know there is a relation or want to rest importance to the relation.

Dont know how to explain it in english sorry.

[Leandro Jardim]

Originally Posted by tolkien

Well...We sometimes use the word "Amiga" (between quotes) when we speak about a girl that is our girlfriend but dont want other people know there is a relation or want to rest importance to the relation.

Dont know how to explain it in english sorry.

I understand because in portuguese we can do the same thing! Was exactly because of this that I thought that could have a correlation between amiga and girlfriend in other languages. Doh!

[Estrayk]

Originally Posted by Foebane

It's just occurred to me that with a computer system named after the word for "friend" in a specific language, that it would be especially popular in those countries with that language. So, how well did the Amiga sell in Spain and Mexico (if it sold in the latter country at all)? I wonder how conversations about the Amiga go in those countries? Can any Spanish speakers here share anecdotes about this aspect of the Commodore Amiga?

Well, really here in Spain, there never was and there is no kind of rarity in a conversation when Amiga is named referring to the computer since we say: "El Amiga". And not: La Amiga.

If we want to refer to a female friend, we say: "LA AMIGA"
If we want to refer to the computer called Amiga, we say: "EL AMIGA"

We use "EL" because "ORDENADOR" is a male word. "EL ORDENADOR" "EL ORDENADOR AMIGA" (NOTE:Ordenador = Computer)


I think that Mexican people have more problems coz they dont call to a computer like us: ORDENADOR. They use the word "COMPUTADORA". And they use "LA" instead "EL" coz computadora its a female word. Anyway, I think the Amiga computer was and is totally unknown there in Mexico.

[Shatterhand]

Here in Brazil we say "O Amiga" too, instead of "A Amiga".

I remember when I told my female cousin I wanted an Amiga as a Christmas gift, she looked a bit sad and weird to me and said "But I am your friend".

[thellier]

I am french but I dont think that Amigas had a big market in Spain, never heard about it.
United kingdom,Germany,France and also perhaps some parts of Scandinavian were certainly the strongest points of presence of Amiga in Europe.
Note also that in french too names got a gender (latin langage too)
Despite that we say "un Amiga" like a "un micro-ordinateur Amiga" (male) (an Amiga personnal computer)
And not "une Amiga"

[thellier]

The same ambiguity also exists in french
Girl friend is "petite amie"
Female friend is "amie" (same as Amiga)
Buuut "copine" that mean usually a "female near friend" may also mean that you have sex with her

[Tigerskunk]

Same thing in german.
It's 'Der Amiga' and not 'Die Amiga'.