salpica

Salpica is the third-person singular present indicative form of the Spanish verb salpicar, which means to splash, sprinkle, or spatter. The verb is transitive and commonly describes liquids, paint, mud, or small particles being ejected or scattered onto a surface or a person. For example, agua puede salpicar la cara or la pintura salpica la camisa.

In addition to its literal sense, salpicar is used figuratively to describe something that affects or involves multiple people or areas, or that is interwoven with many details. A common usage is to say that a news report or a situation “salpica” different sectores or aspects of society, roughly conveying the idea of spreading or reaching broadly, as in una noticia que salpica a la economía.

Conjugation and usage notes: salpicar is a regular -ar verb. Present tense forms include yo salpico, tú salpicas, él salpica, nosotros salpicamos, vosotros salpicaríais? No, proper form is vosotros salp icáis, ellos salpican. For other tenses, standard -ar conjugation patterns apply (pretense: salpicé, salpicaste, salpicó, salpicamos, salpicasteis, salpicaron; imperfect: salpicaba, salpicabas, salpicaba, salpicábamos, salpicabais, salpicaban).

Etymology of salpicar is not universally agreed, but the verb is well established in Spanish from old forms and is cognate with related Romance-language terms for splashing or scattering.

See also salpicadura (the noun meaning splash or spatter) and salpicante (an adjective relating to splashing or something that causes spatter).