It’s that time of the week when we mine our rich seams of Spanish vocabulary to split apart similar-looking nouns with different uses. Today we’re separating veto (masculine) from veta (feminine).
Starting with veto, you can hear how it’s pronounced here:
Given we have a word spelled the same in English, you may not be surprised that veto means the right of a person or body to stop something, as well as the act and effect of using this right – veto:
Ejerció el veto más que todos los presidentes anteriores juntos.
He used his veto more than all the previous presidents put together.
Tiene poder de veto sobre la legislación aprobada por el Parlamento.
It has the power of veto over legislation approved by Parliament.
Esto fue tomado por los manifestantes como un veto a su derecho de manifestarse y protestar.
This was interpreted by the demonstrators as a veto on their right to demonstrate and protest.
Moving on to veta, you can listen to how it’s pronounced here:
In geology and mining, una veta of a rock, a mineral or an ore is a layer or mass of it that in some circumstances may bring miners flocking to it – a seam (especially of a sedimentary layer) or a vein:
Posteriormente descubrieron una veta de carbón de entre tres y siete pies de profundidad.
Later they discovered a seam of coal between three and seven feet deep.
una veta de cobre
a vein of copper
En 1499, se descubrió en Eisenberg una veta muy rica en oro.
In 1499 a very rich vein or seam of gold was found in Eisenberg.
Much like the English word seam, una veta is sometimes used figuratively as a source of something:
un área que posee una de las más ricas vetas del folclor musical
an area that offers one of the richest reservoirs or seams of folk music
Vieron una nueva veta lucrativa en el diseño.
They spotted another lucrative opportunity in design.
In carpentry and cabinetmaking, la veta (or las vetas) on a piece of wood means the direction of its fibres and the pattern they form – the grain:
Si la veta de la madera es recta y uniforme, será mucho más fácil crear juntas fuertes y duraderas.
If the grain of the wood is straight and regular, it will be much easier to create strong and lasting joints.
Su patrón de vetas es relativamente sencillo.
Its grain pattern is relatively simple.
Una veta is also a fine line or band found in marble, stone or meat or as part of the markings on an animal or plant – usually a vein or streak depending on the context:
Tiene cuatro columnas corintias de mármol negro con vetas blancas y follaje tallado.
It has four Corinthian columns made of black marble with white veins and sculpted foliage.
A veces se dice que el jamón es más rico si posee vetas de grasa.
It’s sometimes said that ham is tastier if it has streaks of fat or is marbled with fat.
Este escarabajo tiene ojos prominentes y varias vetas entre los ojos.
This beetle has prominent eyes and a number of stripes or streaks between its eyes.
Las flores de color blanco tienen vetas de color lavanda.
The white flowers have lavender-coloured veins or streaks.
In informal language, una veta can be a characteristic element:
Tenía una veta impertinente.
She had an impertinent streak, She had an impertinent side to her.
Es trabajador y resistente, pero posee una veta de orgullo y arrogancia.
He is hard-working and tough but has a proud, arrogant side to him or has a proud, arrogant streak.
Es atlética y tiene una veta competitiva ferviente.
She is athletic and can be fiercely competitive.
QUIZ TIME
Related to veto is the verb vetar. See if you can work out what it means in the following examples:
El Presidente no puede vetar la legislación parlamentaria, a menos que considere que puede ser contraria a la Constitución.
Si el alcalde veta un proyecto, el consejo tiene 30 días para contradecir el veto con una mayoría de dos tercios.
Nadie más tiene derecho a intentar vetar o interferir en ese proceso.
ANSWERS
El Presidente no puede vetar la legislación parlamentaria, a menos que considere que puede ser contraria a la Constitución.
The President cannot veto parliamentary legislation unless he believes it may be unconstitutional.
Si el alcalde veta un proyecto, el consejo tiene 30 días para contradecir el veto con una mayoría de dos tercios.
If the mayor vetoes a project, the council has 30 days to overturn the veto with a two-thirds majority.
Nadie más tiene derecho a intentar vetar o interferir en ese proceso.
No one else has the right to try to veto or interfere in that process. To get to the bottom of how some more similar-looking Spanish words are used, come back next week.
