University:
Boston University
Course:
CAS LX 110 | Say What? Accents, Dialects, and Society
Academic year:

2024
Views:

75

Pages:

18
Author:

batgirl8101zn1p

On so-called Spanglish Two background ideas • Terminology matters when dealing with minoritized or racialized groups. • Basic linguistic theory matters when dealing with contact varieties. Terminology matters • What we call minoritized groups is important: cf. girls vs women, crazy vs mentally ill • What we call their language is also important. Central ideas of linguistic theory matter in these cases • Usage is made possible by grammar, but usage is not grammar. • Differences in usage sometimes reflect differences in grammar, but often do not. The language spoken by many Latinos in the U.S. • should be simply called Spanish • for more precision, Spanish as spoken in the U.S. The parallel is simple • • • • • Spanish as spoken in the U.S. Spanish as spoken in Mexico Spanish as spoken in Puerto Rico Spanish as spoken in Spain Spanish as spoken in Cuba, etc. These terms are useful oversimplifications • There are many ways to speak Spanish in Mexico, in Spain, in Cuba • There are many ways to speak Spanish in the U.S. Popular Spanish Our topic really is: popular registers of Spanish in Mexico, Spain, Colombia, Cuba … and in the U.S. The parallel is a simple one: • • • • • • Local popular Spanish as spoken in Mexico Local popular Spanish as spoken in Puerto Rico Local popular Spanish as spoken in Spain Local popular Spanish as spoken in Cuba etc Local popular Spanish as spoken in the U.S. Local popular varieties of Spanish differ from one another • in local vocabulary • in local phraseology • In local syntax Differences in local vocabulary • The bus: camión, micro, colectivo, guagua, bus, ómnibus, autobús • The sidewalk: banqueta, bordillo, vereda, senda, andén, acera Two traits of local vocabulary • It is very abundant. There are hundreds of these local words everywhere. • It is often not understood out of context by speakers from other areas. Local vocabulary differences: Different lexical roots • From very popular registers in Chile: chori, carreteado, aperrado, pulento • From popular registers in Spain: cachondo, chorrada, pijo, mamón, macarra • For translations, see López-Morales 2006: 40ff Local vocabulary differences: Different forms of the same root • la jueza vs la juez • noticiario vs noticiero • velatorio vs velorio • competición vs competencia • explosionar vs explotar Local vocabulary differences Same word, different meanings • Chile: curado • South America: coger • For more of these examples, cf. LópezMorales 2006 Local vocabulary differences Different words again Why are these interesting? • • • • • • • • • • • chévere (Caribbean, now spreading) chop (River Plate, especially Uruguay) cuate (México) guagua (Perú) gurí (River Plate, especially Uruguay) parquear (Caribbean, especially Cuba) palta (Perú) petate (Mexico) plei (Dominican Republic) quimbamba (Caribbean) zacate (Mexico) Differential borrowing is at the heart of local vocabulary differences • aguacate (Mexico and others) vs. palta (Perú and others) • maní (Caribbean and others) vs. cacahuate, cacahuete (Mexico and others) • ají (Caribbean and others) vs. chile (Mexico and others) I don’t understand No te imaginás, ayer se sentó un gurí en el bar y pidió un chop.

On So-called Spanglish Lecture 1