Solamente Una Vez

The famous trade winds of the Caribbean that blow so sweetly throughout the islands – I’ll bet you (and virtually everyone else) think that the “trade” part means “commerce” since they were the winds that brought the trading ships.  No, no, no.  It is refering to their consistency.  They blow constantly towards the equator from about the 30th parallels (both north and south) and the earth’s spinning deflects them so they come at the islands almost always from the northeast, faithfully following or treading the same path.  This “trade” refers to the Middle English word trede or tread, being applied as early as the 14th century to winds that could be relied upon to tread the same path.  Isn’t that a fascinating bit of info for those trivia buffs out there?