El Detective

Hi guys. I'm reviewing an oath of office for a Mexican State police agency which begins:

Protesto cumplir con los lineamientos éticos de mi profesión, protesto guardar y hacer guardar la constitución política de los Estados Unidos Mexicanos y las leyes que de ella emanen, desempeñar leal y patrióticamente las funciones que como policía estatal se me han designado , atendiendo siempre a los principios de lealtad, Honestidad y Sacrificio.

I'm suprised at the use of the verb protestar. Is there a definition for this word I'm not familiar with for it to be used in this context?

Joel

Guadalupe

Hi, Joel! I haven't found a definition which really matches this context, since the term "protestar" has a negative connotation in Spanish: in that sense, it's a synonym of the verb "protest" in English: "To object to, especially in a formal statement."

However, I have found another definition for the verb "protest" which may give us a clue: "To promise or affirm with earnest solemnity: “He continually protested his profound respect” (Frank Norris)."

In any case, my advice is to avoid the use of the term "protestar" in Spanish in this sense for it may be confusing. In most cases I would associate the term with sense 1 (to object to). In this context, I would have used "prometer" instead.

Hope you find it useful!

vicente

Hola amigos:

As Guadalupe says there is an English definition which I'm sure Joel has heard.

to make solemn or earnest declaration as in "he protests his innocence".

In this sense protest has an affirmative connotation.

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vicente

Guadalupe

Hi, Vicente! Yes, that's true! However, my point was that I wouldn't have used the term "protestar" in Spanish with an affirmative connotation.

It may be used in certain countries, but I have never heard it like that in Argentina.

vicente

Hi Guadalupe:

Sorry, I was in the middle of editing my post so that I did not seem to be repeating exactly what you had already said. I meant to emphazise that the verb does have an affirmative use in English and apparently does as well in Spanish since it is in the cited oath of office.

I do agree with you. It has a very limited use in English so I am sure it is equally unusual in Spanish. But to see it used in that manner is interesting, no?

Saludos!!

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vicente

Guadalupe

Of course, Vicente! We keep on learning every day... Perhaps, someone in Mexico can illustrate us on the use of "protestar" in oaths in Spanish...

El Detective

Thanks Guadelupe and Vincente for your input. As this was written by a member or members of a Mexican state police agency I suspect that in Mexico it is a recognized and acceptable use of the verb. I was really more interested in how common it is and clearly so far it seems this may be more common in Mexico than in other Spanish speaking countries.

I too hope some of our Mexican members get a chance to reply. Thanks again.

Joel

vicente

Hey Joel:

While we are waiting for some of our Mexican guys

I asked a Mexican amigo and he said that protestar is equivalent to jurar, at least in this usage and is used commonly in taking the oaths of most, if not all, government offices including the presidency of Mexico.

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vicente

El Detective

Thanks Vincente,

I've been asking around and have heard the same so we keep learning.

Joel

Guadalupe

Thanks, Vicente and Joel! Once more, we confirm that languages vary from country to country...