phantasma — a specter or apparition or something created by the imagination or fancy
fantasma — the Spanish cognate of the same meanings (the word is the same in Italian and Portuguese, too, with slight differences in pronunciation, and it is spelled only slightly differently in French — fantasme)
You may be wondering if I’ve accidently added a letter to the word “phantasm,” but I assure you that the word “phantasma” also exists in English; however, “phantasm” is more commonly used. Lesser used but also in existence is a word that looks even more like the Spanish counterpart, and that word is “fantasm.”
Middle English borrowed from Anglo-French — that “fantasme” word which hasn’t changed in modern French. That word came down through the years from Latin which got it from a Greek verb dealing with presenting something to the mind. What do we do when we “fantasize?” We present something to our minds. Thus, “fantasy,” “fantasize,” and “fantastic” all are related to “phantasms” — spooky specters that are products of our imaginations.
Or are they?
It is Halloween after all, so keep a look out for “phantasmata” roaming around — that’s the plural for “phantasma.”
In English, we have many synonyms for “phantasma.” Some that we use are “ghost,” “specter,” and “apparition.” In Spanish, those are “fantasma,” “espectro” and “apariciόn.”
We also use the word “phantom.” That, too, remains as “fantasma” in Spanish. “Phantom” can be used as an adjective in English where “phantasm” and “phantasma” are not. Something that is illusory, imaginary, or ghostly can be described using “phantom” like a “phantom pain” or a “phantom ship.”
We also use the word “phantasmagoria” and its variations to refer to “a shifting series of phantasms or deceptive appearances.” This can also be spelled as “fantasmagoria.” You’re probably not surprised to learn that there is an exact (with an accent mark) cognate for that in Spanish — “fantasmagoría.”
In music and literature, a “fantasia” is a composition in which the creator’s “fancy” has been allowed to roam freely and not force the composition to follow conventional forms. Essentially, the piece is a product of someone’s imagination. This word is “fantasía” in Spanish, and that is also the cognate for our English word of “fantasy.”
When I was still teaching Spanish, my students would associate “fantasma” with “phantom” to remember it more easily. They didn’t know the word “phantasm” and weren’t interested in learning it either. Knowing “phantasm,” though, and even better, knowing “phantasma” in English makes for a much easier cognizance of “fantasma” in Spanish or in Italian or in Portuguese.
Until next time. If you missed being able to enjoy last week’s episode, be sure to become a paid subscriber to get each week’s posting from me as well as to be able to access all the archived issues.
Happy Halloween.
Tammy Marshall
Phantasma