colonia
n.— «Colonias—the Spanish word for neighborhoods—are unplanned immigrant communities that sprouted in the 1980s. Many areas lack plumbing, electricity, drainage and paved roads. Authorities have tried to improve conditions and prevent new colonias, but they’ve continued to grow. Officials estimate 500,000 people live in colonias.» —“Poverty-stricken colonias turn to technology for medical help” by Lynn Brezosky in Alton Star-Telegram (Fort Worth, Texas) Feb. 11, 2005. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
What kind of book do people ask for most often in prison? Romance novels? No. The Bible? No. The most requested books by far are … dictionaries! A number of volunteer organizations gather and distribute used dictionaries to help inmates with...
Many of us struggled with the Old English poem “Beowulf” in high school. But what if you could actually hear “Beowulf” in the English of today? There’s a new translation by Maria Dahvana Headley that uses contemporary...