Juan Cueto called the 1980s revival of the economy and the reindustrialization the “symphony in D minor,” a process that resembled restructuring and downsizing. In the twenty-first century, every prefix that starts with re signals a different kind of work: reinterpreting, reclaiming, rewilding. Some revisions arrive with resignation, as if acceptance is the first step toward meaningful change. The valley of the Fallen is a vivid example. It is a colossal Catholic cemetery standing as a monument to a military victory won through war and sustained by postwar killings. The sheer scale of the architecture and the inexorable durability of the stone dwarf footnotes and citations, which offer only context rather than comprehension, leaving visitors to confront the monument’s gravity alone.
Dealing with the latest developments that begin with re, the most striking is the reclamation of a word stripped of its derisive edge. Reappropriation conserves language rather than continually replacing terms that never quite satisfy those affected, buying time for social conditions to shift before the vocabulary does. The word sudaca, a shortened form of sudamericano, carried contempt from some who dismissed South Americans. I accepted it as an act of reclamation, much like I welcomed the word bocata, a fond nod to a cherished bite. In a bold move, Argentine creators Muñoz and Sampayo titled their comic Sudor sudaca, a playful inversion that reclaiming power through naming can achieve.
Botanists renamed two hundred plant species that carried the scent of racism tied to the Arabic term kafir, used historically to describe inhabitants of South Africa’s Cafrería during colonial times and still invoked in hostile discourse today. Many people use the term to label savage attitudes or individuals without recognizing its racist roots. In the case of the plants, moral concern about taxonomy outweighed the burden of scientific naming. Let it end there. These terms face ongoing critique because they are “denigratory,” a Latin-rooted word meaning to stain and literally to darken. The semantic weight of colors matters, so a careful, contextual reading of language is essential.
The discussion surrounding these shifts touches on history, linguistics, and social responsibility. It highlights how language evolves under pressure from cultural memory, political power, and everyday use. Such changes invite readers to reflect on how words shape perception, influence behavior, and either bolster inclusion or reinforce prejudice. The dialogue is a reminder that meanings can change with communities that redefine them, and with the courage to question inherited phrases when they no longer serve the people they affect.