BajaNomad

Las Cuatro Milpas

Bob H - 3-12-2004 at 03:27 PM

Please, someone help me with the meaning of "Milpas". Someone told me it refers to a corn field, thus the translation would be The Four Cornfields. But then someone else said that it refers to a small portion of land or a hectare. Anyone have something to tell me about this?
Gracias,
Bob H

elgatoloco - 3-13-2004 at 09:17 AM

"A "milpa" is a plot of land, usually 1 to 4 hectares in size, where a family grows several nutritious food crops -traditionally corn, beans, squash and chile."



http://www.milpas.org/About_Milpas/about_milpas.html

milpas

academicanarchist - 3-15-2004 at 08:40 AM

The translation would be the four corn fields. It is a generic term for a corn field, and does not denote any specific size. There is a town in California whose name derives from the same word, Milpitas, which would translate as small corn fields.

Bob H - 3-15-2004 at 04:44 PM

Thank you very very much.
Bob H:light:

FrankO - 3-16-2004 at 11:28 AM

There's a restaurant on Milpas St. in Santa Barbara called Cautros Milpas and it's been a few years but I swear they said it meant 4 corners. Definately not a direct translation. And, I've been wrong many times b4.

JESSE - 3-16-2004 at 02:33 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Bob H
Please, someone help me with the meaning of "Milpas". Someone told me it refers to a corn field, thus the translation would be The Four Cornfields. But then someone else said that it refers to a small portion of land or a hectare. Anyone have something to tell me about this?
Gracias,
Bob H


I have that book Bob, but i havent started reading it yet, it supposed to be really good.