utilitzarse

Utilitzarse is a nonstandard spelling that appears in some texts as a reflexive form of the verb used to mean “to use oneself” or “to be used.” In standard Catalan, the correct reflexive is utilitzar-se; in Spanish, the corresponding form is utilizarse. Because utilitzarse is not recognized as a correct form in either language, its use is generally limited to orthographic errors, dialectal variation, or cross-linguistic mixing.

Etymology and cognates: The concept derives from the Latin utilis, meaning useful, and travels through the Romance languages via verbs meaning to use. In Catalan, utilis translates as useful, and utiliz- forms appear in the verb utilitzar; in Spanish, utilizar shares the same origin and is the common verb for “to use.”

Usage notes: When expressing reflexive action in standard Catalan, one should say utilitzar-se, as in Aquest instrument s’utilitza per mesurar la temperatura (This instrument is used to measure temperature). In Spanish, one would say Este producto se utiliza para limpiar superficies (This product is used to clean surfaces). The form utilitzarse is typically encountered only as a misspelling or in blended-language texts; it is not recommended for formal writing.

See also: Utilitzar (Catalan), Utilizar (Spanish), Utilidad, Utilizable.