Tienen que llenar los huecos en el conocimiento. “You need to fill in the gaps in your knowledge.”
These words were spoken to me in 1995 by the dean of the Graduate Program in Translation at the University of Puerto Rico. They changed the way I think about language, learning, and the responsibility that comes with knowing two languages well. They became the founding philosophy of everything you’ll find on this site.
My Story
My relationship with Spanish began in Argentina, where I lived from 1984 to 1986. Those were years that coincided with the country’s return to democracy and one of the most vibrant periods in its cultural history. I carried a small notebook everywhere I went, jotting down words and phrases I’d never encountered before, then tracking down native speakers willing to explain what they meant. Argentina gave me not just fluency but instinct — the ability to feel a language rather than just translate it.
That immersive experience sent me back to the United States hungry for formal training. I completed my undergraduate degree at Brigham Young University between 1987 and 1992, where my linguistic education took root in the classroom to match what Argentina had taught me in the streets.
From there I made my way to the University of Puerto Rico, where from 1994 to 1996 I completed a graduate degree in Translation under Professor Marshall Morris, my thesis advisor. Puerto Rico gave me a second immersive Spanish education — a different accent, a different rhythm, a different relationship between Spanish and English than anything I’d encountered in South America. If Argentina taught me how Spanish feels, Puerto Rico taught me how it thinks.
After relocating to the Portland, Oregon area and building a career as a translator and interpreter, I returned to school at Portland State University, completing a Master’s degree in Post-Secondary Adult and Continuing Education around 2001 to 2004. That program deepened my understanding of how adults learn, how knowledge is best organized and presented, and how reference materials can be designed to serve real working needs rather than just theoretical ones. That perspective shapes every glossary and resource on this site.
Thirty years of working as a Spanish-English translator and former interpreter have taught me that the most valuable reference materials are rarely the ones that already exist. The big publishers cover the obvious ground. What they don’t cover — specialized terminology for niche industries, subject-specific vocabulary for working professionals, bilingual glossaries for fields too small to warrant a commercial dictionary — is where the real gaps live.
Filling those gaps is what Firefly Linguistics is for.
What You’ll Find Here
Firefly Linguistics is a curated hub of Spanish-English language resources built around three core offerings:
Bilingual Glossaries — carefully researched, professionally compiled reference tools covering specialized subjects that larger publishers overlook. Current glossaries cover culinary arts, chocolate making, kitchen equipment, edible flowers, blood donation terminology, and more. New glossaries are added regularly.
Articles and Posts — explorations of language, etymology, linguistics, and the endlessly interesting space between Spanish and English. Written from the perspective of someone who has spent a career living and working between two languages.
Curated Resources — links to the best Spanish-language dictionaries, reference tools, and learning resources on the internet, organized by subject and vetted by someone who actually uses them professionally.
About the Name
The name Firefly Linguistics comes from my heritage as a member of the Chickasaw Nation. In Chickasaw culture, fireflies represent illumination — the search for knowledge and wisdom in the darkness. The firefly doesn’t flood the landscape with light. It offers a focused, purposeful glow exactly where it’s needed.
That’s what I try to do here. Not everything — just the things that aren’t already well lit. Llenando los huecos. Filling the gaps.
Read more about the Chickasaw Nation and the story behind the name →
About the Author
Andrew Lillie is a trained linguist and Spanish-English translator and former interpreter with over 30 years of professional experience. He holds an undergraduate degree from Brigham Young University, a graduate degree in Translation from the University of Puerto Rico, and a Master’s degree in Post-Secondary Adult and Continuing Education from Portland State University. He has lived and worked immersively in Argentina and Puerto Rico — which means he can argue about language in at least two distinct Spanish accents. He is the founder of Firefly Linguistic Services LLC and the creator of Spanish by Topic, a platform dedicated to filling the gaps in Spanish language knowledge. He currently lives in Oregon, where he shares his home with a very floofy dog named Jovie.