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Gerald Erichsen

Gerald's Spanish Language Blog

By Gerald Erichsen, About.com Guide to Spanish Language

Hindú doesn't necessarily mean 'Hindu'

Saturday March 13, 2004
If you're reading today's news out of Spain, you may notice that some of those arrested for the terrorist attacks in Madrid are referred to as hindues. Hindú is one of those words that can be confusing out of context: It can refer to a Hindu or the Hindu religion, but it is also a noun and adjective referring to a person from India regardless of the person's religion.
 
Hindú, then, is an example of a "fickle friend," a word that sometimes means the same as its English counterpart but often doesn't. It is also the latest word to be added to our list of fickle friends.

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