[UnknownFact2]

"In lists compiled by linguists and translators, it seems “duende” is a word that many experts regard as the hardest word in Spanish to convey in other languages.

In the dictionary, the word is listed as “elf” or “magic.” However, in actual practice, when the word shows up in text, it is rarely in the context of a woodland spirit, although that is where the word’s etymology begins.

(...)

In 1933 Spanish poet and theater director Federico Garcia Lorca gave a lecture in Buenos Aires titled “Play and Theory of the Duende” in which he addressed the fiery spirit behind what makes great performance stir the emotions:

“The duende, then, is a power, not a work. It is a struggle, not a thought. I have heard an old maestro of the guitar say, ”The duende is not in the throat; the duende climbs up inside you, from the soles of the feet.’ Meaning this: it is not a question of ability, but of true, living style, of blood, of the most ancient culture, of spontaneous creation … everything that has black sounds in it, has duende.”

So, could this quality be translated via the use of a calque as “black sounds?” That doesn’t quite work, although Lorca does use that term in describing the qualities of duende. A meaning for the untranslatable usually ends up being borrowed from the original language and becoming a loan word.

The word “duende” often represents an emotion or response to a selected piece of art. Perhaps this is exactly what makes it so difficult to translate; can you ever really translate a feeling? How would you translate this beautiful, if difficult concept into English?"

-Taken from [Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

Since Spanish is my native language, I can tell for sure that this article was not written by someone whose native language is Spanish. But it's something interesting to read for a few reasons.

What do you the native Spanish speakers of AT think of this? And what do the others think of this as well?

I'm giving my opinion later.

[yakushita]

Well spanish is my native language and so far when we say duende we actually mean it as in "elf" but to be more exact there not the same but you get my point. Its actually interesting what you mention about Garcia Lorcas and Ive got to say that Ive never thought that the word duende could mean something else than what i have always use it for as in a mytical creature that lives in the woods or something like that or in and insult or making fun or somebody that's short. But its like you said that article does not sounds like it was written by somebody whose native language is spanish.

[omolle92]

I've been doing translation work from Dutch -> Spanish. The article is pretty interesting even though my native language is not Spanish. Easy words to translate would be Murciélago (bat) and Zorro (fox).

[Kawainu]

I agree with yakushita. We (native spanish speakers) use "duende" when we talk about a well known nature spirit who looks like a dwarf but has some elf traits. Its not the "lord of the rings" kind of dwarf. The "duende" is supposed to be smaller than RPG dwarves and they have magic powers associated with nature, they live in the woods (just like elves) and some of them are supposed to have elf-like ears.
They are often depicted as very small beings (sometimes even smaller than a human's hand) wearing green and brown clothes, having elf-like pointy ears, wielding nature-related magic powers, hiding at the top of the trees, and in some tales, only children can see them (unless they purposely show themselves in front of you).

[Darkchao45]

Relevant
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WVsDLVRBcY0

I pretty much agree with everyone else here. I think of some sort of small mythical creature.

[chaotix37]

Ok although I'm not a native Spanish. Since my language were adapted by the Spaniards, probably "duende" means Dwarf. In my language it's also called "duwende" with a w in it.

[Spectre456]

I'm gonna be honest, the whole time I was reading that I was like wtf. Never in my life have I thought of "duende" as anything other than a kind of small elf. Like Tobi from Harry Potter.

This makes me question though. Did this guy just simply mishear what the interviewee was saying? Or is this actually the way they use the word in an unknown, at least to us, place?

[Staric]

My native language is Spanish... but I don't know how to translate duende to english xD

For me duende is a spirit of a children who died tragically...

[UnknownFact2]

^what the?

[Staric]

srly, that's what my mom told me