spa
Translingual
Symbol
spa
- (international standards) ISO 639-2 & ISO 639-3 language code for Spanish.
English
Etymology 1
The term is derived from the name of the Belgian town of Spa, where since medieval times illnesses caused by iron deficiency were treated by drinking chalybeate (iron-bearing) spring water. In 16th century England the old Roman ideas of medicinal bathing were revived at towns like Bath, and in 1571 William Slingsby who had been to the Belgian town (which he called Spaw) discovered a chalybeate spring in Yorkshire. He built an enclosed well at what became known as Harrogate, the first resort in England for drinking medicinal waters, then in 1596 Dr. Timothy Bright called the resort The English Spaw, beginning the use of the word Spa as a generic description rather than as the place name of the Belgian town. At first this term referred specifically to resorts for water drinking rather than bathing, but this distinction was gradually lost and many spas offer external remedies.
There are various stories about the origin of the name. A Belgian spring of iron-bearing water was called Espa from the Walloon term for "fountain", and was used in 1326 as a cure by an iron master with such success that he founded a health resort that developed into the town, though it has been suggested that this term may be derived from the name of the resort. Some have suggested that the town's name can be ultimately sourced from Latin spargere (“to scatter, sprinkle, or moisten”), though this derivation is problematic.
Pronunciation
- (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˈspɑː/
- (UK, obsolete) IPA(key): /ˈspɔː/[1]
- (General American) IPA(key): /ˈspɑ/
Audio (US) (file)
- (General Australian) IPA(key): /ˈspɐː/
Audio (AU) (file)
- Rhymes: -ɑː
Noun
spa (plural spas)
- A health resort near a mineral spring or hot spring.
- A trendy or fashionable resort.
- A health club.
- They went to a spa for a massage.
- A hot tub.
- Their bath is fitted with a spa.
- (dialect) A convenience store.
Synonyms
- health club
- resort
Derived terms
- Croft Spa
- Boston Spa
- Droitwich Spa
- Leamington Spa
- spa bath
- spa pool
- spa town
- spa water
- Woodhall Spa
Translations
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See also
- caldarium
- pump room
Etymology 2
Shortened form of spastic
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /spɑː/
- Rhymes: -ɑː
Noun
spa (plural spas)
- (Ireland, slang) An idiot; a gobshite
- 2010 Paul Murray Skippy Dies →ISBN:
- What the fuck was she talking about, he must think she's such a spa.
- 2018 Rachael English The Night of the Party
- ['...] We'll say it was just the two of us sitting in the shed having a chat.'
- 'Don't be such a spa. Nobody will believe we were sitting in the shed having a chat.[...']
- 2010 Paul Murray Skippy Dies →ISBN:
- (Ireland, slang) A clumsy person (see spastic)
- 1993, Roddy Doyle, Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha, →ISBN, page 17:
- — Hit it.
He missed.
— You're a big spa, I told him.
-
References
- Jespersen, Otto (1909) A Modern English Grammar on Historical Principles (Sammlung germanischer Elementar- und Handbücher; 9), volume I: Sounds and Spellings, London: George Allen & Unwin, published 1961, § 10.571, page 303.
Anagrams
- APS, APs, ASP, PAS, PAs, PSA, Pas, Psa., SAP, asp, pas, s.ap., sap
Dutch
Etymology 1
From earlier spade, from Middle Dutch spade, from Old Dutch *spado, from Proto-Germanic *spadô.
Alternative forms
- spade
Noun
spa m (plural spaden, diminutive spaatje n)
- spade
Etymology 2
From the Spa brand of mineral water, which originates from the Belgian town of Spa. The compound spawater is attested as early as the 17th century, however.
Noun
spa m (plural spa's, diminutive spaatje n)
- mineral water
Etymology 3
From earlier spade, from Middle Dutch spade, from Old Dutch *spādi, from Proto-Germanic *spēdiz. Cognate with German spät.
Alternative forms
- spade
Adjective
spa (comparative spader, superlative spaadst)
- (obsolete) late
Inflection
| Inflection of spa | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| uninflected | spa | |||
| inflected | spade | |||
| comparative | spader | |||
| positive | comparative | superlative | ||
| predicative/adverbial | spa | spader | het spaadst het spaadste | |
| indefinite | m./f. sing. | spade | spadere | spaadste |
| n. sing. | spa | spader | spaadste | |
| plural | spade | spadere | spaadste | |
| definite | spade | spadere | spaadste | |
| partitive | spaads | spaders | — | |
Synonyms
- laat
Norwegian Nynorsk
Alternative forms
- spada
- spade
Etymology
From the noun spade.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /spɑː/
Verb
spa (present tense spar, past tense spadde, past participle spadd or spadt, present participle spadande, imperative spa)
- to use a spade or shovel, to dig, to shovel
References
- “spa” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.
Piedmontese
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /spa/
Noun
spa f (plural spe)
- sword
Polish
Etymology
Unadapted borrowing from English spa.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /spa/
Audio (file) - Rhymes: -a
- Syllabification: spa
Noun
spa n (indeclinable)
- spa (beauty treatments designed to moisturise and nourish the skin; also: cosmetics used for such treatments)
- spa (health resort near a mineral spring or hot spring)
- spa (hot tub)
Further reading
- spa in Wielki słownik języka polskiego, Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN
- spa in Polish dictionaries at PWN
Portuguese
Etymology
Unadapted borrowing from English spa.
Noun
spa m (plural spas)
- spa (health resort near a spring)
Spanish
Etymology
Unadapted borrowing from English spa.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /esˈpa/ [esˈpa]
- Rhymes: -a
Noun
spa f (plural spas)
- spa
- Synonym: balneario
Usage notes
According to Royal Spanish Academy (RAE) prescriptions, unadapted foreign words should be written in italics in a text printed in roman type, and vice versa, and in quotation marks in a manuscript text or when italics are not available. In practice, this RAE prescription is not always followed.
Further reading
- “spa”, in Diccionario de la lengua española, Vigésima tercera edición, Real Academia Española, 2014