[Linganth] [EXT] translating "reported speech" into Spanish

[Bacelar da Silva, Antonio J - (ajbsilva)]

Interesting! I have the same problem in Portuguese (my first language). I always have to say “discurso direto/indireto.”  I sent out messages to see if anyone can help with that, and if a possible solution in Portuguese could be used for Spanish.


--
Antonio “Tom-Zé” Bacelar da Silva, Ph.D.
Associate Professor (he, his)
Center for Latin American Studies
UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA

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Between Brown and Black: Anti-Racist Activism in Brazil<https://www.rutgersuniversitypress.org/between-brown-and-black/9781978808522/> (Winner of 2023 Sérgio Buarque de Holanda Prize for Best Book in Social Sciences, Brazil Section of the Latin American Studies Association)


The University of Arizona sits on the original homelands of the Pascua Yaqui and Tohono O'odham Nations.


From: Linganth <linganth-bounces at listserv.linguistlist.org> on behalf of Lynnette Arnold <larnold at anthro.umass.edu>
Date: Thursday, September 4, 2025 at 10:01 AM
To: linganth at listserv.linguistlist.org <linganth at listserv.linguistlist.org>
Subject: [EXT] [Linganth] translating "reported speech" into Spanish

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Dear colleagues -

I am in the process of having my book translated into Spanish and we are looking for advice on how to translate the term "reported speech".

I have been going back and forth with my fantastic team of translators (who are part of a translation cooperative<https://polifona.com/> and whom I highly recommend) about this.

They are suggesting "estilo indirecto", which I do not like because it is contrasted with "estilo directo" (which involves direct quotation). I feel we need an umbrella term that, like "reported speech" can be used regardless of the grammatical form that the reporting takes. (In the examples in my book, I have both more direct and more indirect forms of quotation that I analyze under the term 'reported speech').

I'd appreciate any suggestions and especially any Spanish-language academic work in our field that has a translation of this term.

Thanks in advance!

--
Lynnette Arnold (she/ella)
Associate Professor
Anthropology, UMass Amherst
https://lynnettearnold.net/<https://lynnettearnold.net/>

Co-Director, Demystifying Language Project<https://demystifyinglanguage.fordham.edu/>

My book Living Together across Borders<https://global.oup.com/academic/product/living-together-across-borders-9780197755747?lang=en&cc=us> is now out!
Interview<https://campanthropology.org/2024/08/12/lynette-arnold-on-her-book-living-together-across-borders/> about my book on CAMP anthropology blog.
Podcast<https://www.languageonthemove.com/living-together-across-borders/> about my book on Language on the Move.

Recent special issue: Mobilizing Language, Gender, & Sexuality Studies<https://journal.equinoxpub.com/GL/issue/view/2433>
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