u/InvestigatorEven5037

Hi everyone,

I'm writing a gothic horror novel in Spanish, and I realized I'm using the word «oscuridad» (darkness) and the adjective «oscuro» (dark) WAY too much.

For the past few days, I've been digging through the dictionary and pulling out words like «tinieblas», «penumbra», «umbría», «negrura» and «negror». I've also been alternating between the literary/archaic spelling «obscuridad / obscuro» and the standard «oscuridad / oscuro», but it still doesn't feel like enough.

Out of sheer desperation, I even came up with the neologisms «chorno/chorna (dark)» and «chornura (darkness)», inspired by the Russian word «чёрный» (black) —courtesy of my A2-B1 in Russian—, But this is not enough, and it is not a native Spanish word.

I'd love to learn about regional alternatives, literary words, or idioms from Latin America and Spain that I could use to add variety to my prose and stop abusing «oscuro/oscuridad».

Any suggestions? Thanks in advance!

We all know that dense, suffocating air that builds up in a car in the sun, with the doors and windows closed. And in the same way, in a house, or the basement of a building without ventilation. But is there a specific term for this phenomenon?, i would like to know

I want to read you!. I am from Venezuela, and a few years ago, due to the influence of Mexican content on the internet, the expression "apapachar" (to hug) became extremely popular in the country. Indeed, it was massively, you heard it everywhere. However, this was brief and fleeting, as it gradually diminished, and nowadays it is very rare to hear someone from the country say it. However, my personal experience with my friends taught me that "apapachar" means something deeper than simply "abrazo". Anyone can give you a «abrazo», whether you like it or not, whether they love you or not. A «apapacho» it's given to you by someone strongly, with great affection, and with true love. Is "apapachar" used in other countries in the Americas?

I think "chance" is a modern borrowing from English. But here in Venezuela, my parents and grandparents, and other parents and grandparents in the city, say "chance" every day, (They also say "full" every day in their daily conversations) with the same meaning and exact usage as in English. In fact, almost all adults and elderly people in the country speak it ('chace", and "full", so I don't think it can be a modern borrowing from English through television or the internet. So what's going on?

I think "chance" is a modern borrowing from English. But here in Venezuela, my parents and grandparents, and other parents and grandparents in the city, say "chance" every day, (They also say "full" every day in their daily conversations) with the same meaning and exact usage as in English. In fact, almost all adults and elderly people in the country speak it ('chace", and "full", so I don't think it can be a modern borrowing from English through television or the internet. So what's going on?