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"embarcadero" and "muelle"

English translation: wharf/landing/quay and dock/pier

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Spanish term or phrase:	"embarcadero" and "muelle"
English translation:	wharf/landing/quay and dock/pier
Entered by:	sharonam

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18:19 Jan 12, 2005

Spanish to English translations [PRO]
Tech/Engineering - Construction / Civil Engineering / nautical vocabulary

Spanish term or phrase: "embarcadero" and "muelle"

What's the difference between embarcadero and muelle? The story talks about the little boats on the banks of Lake Lehman so I'm not sure if pier, wharf, dock etc... are applicable. It's from a novel set in thee 1930's.

sharonam

wharf/landing/quay and dock/pier

Explanation:
wharf/landing/quay for embarcadero
dock/pier for muelle

In my opinion, the difference comes within the use given to the dock or pier.

Embarcadero: Lugar destinado al embarque de personas y efectos.

quay see wharf (synonyms)
wharf : A dock or pier at which ships are loades or unloaded.
landing : A place for loading and discharging passengers and cargo.

Muelle: Muro construído en la orilla de un río o alrededor de una dársena, para que atraquen los barcos.
dock: 1.a. A landing pier for ships or boats. b. A loading platform for trucks or trains. 2. A pier or wharf.
pier : A structure that extends into the wter and is used to protect, secure, and provide access to vessels.

Diccionario Marino

Selected response from:

Leticia Reynoso

Grading comment

thanks leticia
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer

Summary of answers provided

4 +2

wharf/landing/quay and dock/pier

Leticia Reynoso

jetty/wharf

William Pairman

Discussion entries: 2

Answers

9 mins confidence:

jetty/wharf

Explanation:
I understand pier as principally being for pleasure purposes (at least it is in my home town and elsewhere in the UK)so maybe jetty - a place to get on and off and tie up boatsis preferable. The oxford Esp>Eng suggests this too.

And seeing as its the 1930s, wharf sounds a bit more evocative of the period, Raymond Chandler like maybe

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Note added at 11 mins (2005-01-12 18:31:07 GMT)
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I think the main difference is an \"embarcadero\", like a jetty is for people whereas a \"muelle\" is for (un)loading goods

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Note added at 25 mins (2005-01-12 18:45:32 GMT)
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Check this out, loads of pics of jetties from Google images. Theres a nice lakeside one about halfway down >>>

http://images.google.com/images?q=jetty&hl=en&lr=&start=20&s...

...and here are some groynes >>>

http://images.google.com/images?q=jetty&hl=en&lr=&start=20&s...

William Pairman
Local time: 06:12
Native speaker of: