Cienega

/siːəˈneɪɡə/ noun

Definition

A marshy or swampy ground, typically found in the Americas; an alternative spelling of cienaga.

Etymology

Anglicized spelling of Spanish ciénaga, from Latin caenum; both spellings reflect the same etymology but different transliteration conventions.

Kelly Says

The spelling variation between cienaga and cienega reflects how English writers have tried to capture Spanish pronunciation—cienega keeps the accent mark's pronunciation more obvious, while cienaga is more streamlined.

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