Some help with a traslation and history question please.

[Reidy620]

Hi All, I'm doing a Spanish class at college and tonight we were talking about holidays etc. One of the phrases that came up was "la tienda de campaña" or tent in English.

I'm sure I have heard somewhere that it is called a tienda because all shops used to be under canvas and that's why they retain the same name.

Can anybody confirm or refute this, or have come across any websites that can, as the teacher was very sceptical about my answer.

Thanks in anticipation.

Tropical Regards
Reidy

[ElvisNYC]

tienda (de campaña) is indeed a tent, as well as carpa !

[Norma Rosa]

Originally Posted by Reidy620

I'm sure I have heard somewhere that it is called a tienda because all shops used to be under canvas and that's why they retain the same name.
Reidy

What you say could be true. But here is what I found about the word tienda.

(Of the few definitions RAE gives, I posted two: #1 = tent
#4= store)

tienda.
(Del lat. *tenda, de tend?re, tender).

1. f. Armazón de palos hincados en tierra y cubierta con telas o pieles sujetas con cuerdas, que sirve de alojamiento o aposentamiento en el campo, especialmente en la guerra.

4. f. Casa, puesto o lugar donde se venden al público artículos de comercio al por menor.

~ de campaña.
1. f. tienda (? de campo).
Real Academia Española © Todos los derechos reservados

So, according to RAE, the Spanish word tienda (store/tent) comes from the latin verb tendere, from which also derives the verb tender ( to stretch) or desplegar (to display, lay out, unfold).

Here is my speculation: A store and a camping tent are both shelters: Of goods, of people, etc. Furthermore, at a tienda (store) goods are displayed, layed out. A tienda de campaña is something that must be stretched out.

(Don't worry, I have not fully convenced myself.)

Norma

[bachata]

En la antigüedad los primeros comerciantes eran nómadas y se desplazaban de un lugar a otro vendiendo sus mercancías, por esta razón en los lugares donde ellos posaban para hacer negocios colocaban sus tiendas de campaña.

JJ

[Reidy620]

Many thanks for your help, it's a lot clearer now.

Tropical Regards
Reidy