baca
Lemma Details
Translation: roof rack; luggage rack; car roof carrier
Part of Speech: noun
Etymology: The Spanish word 'baca' comes from the name of the British company Baca, which specialized in manufacturing roof racks for vehicles in the early 20th century. The brand name became so popular in Spain that it turned into a generic term for any roof rack, similar to how 'Kleenex' is used for tissues in English. This is an example of a proprietary eponym, where a brand name becomes the common term for a product category.
Commonality: 60%
Guessability: 10%
Register: neutral
Example Usage
Mnemonics
- Think of 'baca' as a 'back carrier' - it carries things on the back (top) of your car.
- Associate it with 'back' in English - items are stored on the 'back' (top) of the vehicle.
Related Words, Phrases & Idioms
Synonyms
Cultural Context
In Spain and Latin America, 'baca' is the standard term for a car roof rack. It's commonly used when discussing travel preparations, especially for road trips or vacations where extra luggage space is needed.
Easily Confused With
Explanation: 'Baca' (roof rack) and 'vaca' (cow) sound very similar but have completely different meanings. They differ only by the initial consonant (b vs v).
This word:
Instalamos una baca en el coche para el viaje.
We installed a roof rack on the car for the trip.
Notes: In Spanish, 'b' and 'v' are pronounced very similarly, which contributes to the confusion between these words.
Mnemonic: Remember: 'Baca' with 'B' is for 'Baggage' on top of cars; 'Vaca' with 'V' is the animal that says 'Moo'.
Explanation: 'Baca' (roof rack) and 'baja' (low, decrease, or withdrawal) look somewhat similar but have different meanings and pronunciations.
Notes: The pronunciation differs: 'baca' has stress on the first syllable, while 'baja' has stress on the first syllable as well but with a different ending sound.
Mnemonic: 'Baca' ends with an 'a' for 'above' (it's on top of the car); 'baja' ends with an 'a' for 'abajo' (meaning 'down' or 'below').