Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico

Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico [esˈtaðo ˈlibɾe asoˈsjaðo ðe ˈpweɾto ˈriko] is the official name of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. Literally translated, it means "Associated Free State of Puerto Rico". The official name was adopted in 1952. Puerto Rico is an unincorporated territory of the United States.

Some authorities have stated that the official name Estado Libre Asociado constitutes an euphemism, that is, a term intended to give positive appearances to negative events or even mislead entirely, and have charged that the official name in English of "Commonwealth" constitutes a fig leaf, i.e., a term used figuratively and associated with the covering up of an act that is actually embarrassing or distasteful with something of innocuous appearance.^[1]

References

1. ↑ Latino/a Thought: Culture, Politics, and Society. Francisco H. Vazquez. Page 380. Lanham, Md: Rowman Littlefield Publishers. 2009. Retrieved 25 May 2012.