Central Definition and Meaning
Even Latin you have to leave, symbolically speaking, to be able to find the etymological origin of the central term that concerns us now. In doing so we discover that it comes from the word “centralis”, which is made up of two components: the noun “centrum”, which is synonymous with “center”, and the suffix “-al”, which is equivalent to “relative to”.
Central is that belonging to or relative to the center. This term has a great variety of uses: it can be the equidistant interior point of the limits of a figure or a surface; of the space where coordinated actions converge; of the region that concentrates the busiest streets of a population; from the institute that develops research or studies; of the end for which he feels attraction; or the objective to which one aspires.
Most of these meanings can be linked to the notion of central. The central, therefore, can be something that is in the physical center. For example: “The central shelf is somewhat arched, we should take the weight off it”, “All those paintings are beautiful, but the one I like the most is the central one. “
The place that is between two extremes is also known as central: “The most beautiful beaches in the world are in Central America”, “It is not clear to me which countries are part of Central Europe. “
Central, on the other hand, can be the basic or essential of something: “I have some disagreements with the president, but I support his central policies”, “The central hypothesis of the researchers has surprised the family. “
At the business level, the use of central is used to refer to the main headquarters of an industry that has several buildings or premises distributed throughout a city or the country. That will be the center of operation, management and resources of the rest of the establishments.
The facilities where electrical energy is produced are also called power plants, regardless of the means they use: “The protesters asked to close the nuclear power plant”, “The construction of a hydroelectric plant always generates changes in the environment. “
Nor can we ignore that this word that we are analyzing is inextricably linked to certain words to create a very specific term. Thus, for example, there is what is known as central heating, which is one that is identified because it gives heat to an entire building from a single source.
In the same way, there is the Central General Staff. It is a military body that becomes the superior both in what would be the Navy and the Army.
The footballer who acts in the center of the field, the main facilities of an organization and the entity that exercises its action over an entire territory are designated as central: “The Uruguayan center-back was cautioned and will not be able to play the next game”, “The office central is in Lima “, ” The mayors expressed their disgust with the central government. “
Likewise, we can also determine that in Spain in 2000 a television program called “La central” was broadcast. Jesús Vázquez was the presenter of this late-night that had an intelligence center as the stage. It was in this context that everything from interviews to spaces for cultural or sexual dissemination took place.
In the same way, we must also speak of “Central Hospital”. It is a series that, by number of chapters, is the longest on television in Spain. It was broadcast on Telecinco for twelve years and narrated the day-to-day life of the doctors, orderlies and nurses in a hospital center.
