The term intríngulis is used in colloquial language and has two broad meanings, according to what is indicated by the Royal Spanish Academy ( RAE ) in its dictionary. The concept can refer to a problem or conflict that arises in something or to a hidden purpose or motive that is glimpsed in an action or in an individual.
For example: “The choice of the system to use has its intricacies: it is important to analyze each option before making a decision” , “In his new book, the journalist analyzes the intricacies of the ruling party ” , “The businessman does not know how to get out of the “legal intricacies in which he is involved because of his partner.”
It is important to keep in mind that intríngulis is a masculine word: it should be said “el intríngulis” and not “la intríngulis” . However, it is common for many to use it as feminine, and even for this error to appear in the media.
On the other hand, it should be noted that intrígulis does not vary in plural since it is a esdrújula word that ends with S. In this way, we have to talk about “the intríngulis” , “some intríngulis” , etc.
An intricacy can be a difficulty that raises a question. When faced with a dilemma, the person does not know how to act or what decision to make, since they have doubts about it.
Take the case of a girl's parents who want to buy her a gift for her 3rd birthday . At first, they planned to give him a cooking set . However, after reading in newspapers and watching on TV reports about sexist toys and stereotypes, they feel that it may not be the most appropriate present. These parents, therefore, are faced with a dilemma because they cannot decide whether to continue with tradition and cultural mandates (which associate girls with cooking ) or whether, on the contrary, to select another alternative that is not aimed at a specific genre.
The word intríngulis is not very common in everyday speech today; However, it was part of the common vocabulary of our ancestors, and that is why it is normal to hear it from the mouths of grandparents and great-grandparents, or from some teachers. Among its various synonyms, on the other hand, we can find some that seem more accessible to our language today; Let's see a brief list below: goings-on, intrigue, maneuver, obstacle, difficulty , busilis and unknown .
In the examples that we have presented so far, there are situations where the subject feels confused when faced with a series of options, probably because they did not contemplate their existence. It is important to study the nuances of this concept to differentiate it from a mere dilemma, from an alternative between two possible paths, where one of them must necessarily prevail. The intricacies surprise us while the dilemma can be predictable.
Parents who were thinking of buying the kitchen set for their daughter, for example, we know that they had not considered another possibility until they were informed in the media about modern ideas regarding parenting and gender; It is not the same as a situation in which a person finds themselves in a toy store in front of two products and takes a few minutes to choose the one they prefer.
For this reason, among its synonyms we find terms such as obstacle or unknown , much stronger than alternative . It is something that prevents us from moving forward and that seems difficult to decipher, because we do not have all the tools to do so, since the solution depends on more things than our personal tastes. Having said all this, in our lives we go through many intricacies.