Talk:Central American Spanish
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This article is nowhere near complete. I have stolen the format from the Mexican Spanish Article. Right now it is just a collection of tid-bits, things that I know from my own experience. But hopefully this will get the ball rolling.
Orginally, on the list of local variations of Spanish, each state was listed. However, I figured that since central america is smaller, and possibly less linguistically diverse than Mexico, and since no one had written a single article about any of the coutries, I should change the format to a single article on Central American Spanish. When this article starts to look like something, move this comment to the comments section please. —preceding unsigned comment by Jackiemenderchuk (talk • contribs) 04:16, December 3, 2005
There is a very small article in spanish on central american spanish. I have translated the parts that I was sure I understood and agreed with. There are a few pieces that I left in Spanish some one else to sort out.
Contents |
[edit] Several questions
Note: I'm a native speaker but I've never talked to a gal/guy from one of these countries.
- Why Panama is not included? Is is because it is not a sovereign country <grin>? Or because its dialect are too close to Colombia's?
- Why Belize is not included? There is a significant population that speaks Spanish, even as their mother tongue.
- I believe that fragmented is not an adequate word for Arg, Mx or Col. See dialect continuum
- 'r' as in English...an alveolar approximant, certainly, or, maybe, an alveolar flap or a retroflex flap?
- Do they spell aborrotería or, perhaps, abarrotería [1]?
- Agua is standard Spanish for water, everywhere (just google agua site:.gt). Of course, it may also mean soft drink. In Chile, agüita is any infusion.
User:Ejrrjs says What? 14:20, 3 December 2005 (UTC)
I wrote the article originally. So I will answer your questions: Note: I am not a Native speaker. I just lived there for a while. I am not really an expert. I just wanted to kick this thing off because it was missing. And to tell you the truth, I broke the rules not to put original research in wikipedia. This is ALL based on my own observations. I have no sources to back up any of it. And am very happy with most of the changes. Keep up the good work guys.
- As far as I can tell, the Spanish in Panama is not really related.
- Yes. This does include the Spanish of Belize then. But that is complicated. I guess the Mexican Spanish article can include many people in the USA.
- good point, diverse maybe a better word
- The 'r' sounds like an North American English 'R'.
- You are right. oops
- I don't know what you are trying to say.
[edit] Why Belize is not Included
Belize should be included over 50% of the population speaks spanish as a navtive tounge, and lots of other people as well. I just got back from belize, and while lots of people speak english, it's as a second language in western belize. I don't speak spanish though so I can't comment. The comment below is obviously written by some kind of Guatemalan nationalist, Belize never belonged to Guatemela, although it was technically part of the Central American Federation in the 1820's, Spain never excersised effective control over the area. Anyway Belize has been either a colony of Britian or an independent nation since then, whatever Guatemala says. I do know that Belizans say that thier spanish is significantly different from Guatemalan spanish, but as I don't speak the language myself I will leave that to others to include. Belize defines itself as cultural caribean and central american, and from what i saw it is true there.
Belize was Spanish land, and after the independence it was Guatemalan land, the British asked permission to built a garrison and extract timber from there, but instead ended up making a colony out of the whole place. Guatemala has the right to claim their land. Gtrojan
Belize was given to the british by our then Presiden Justo Rufino Barrios, which the Queen of England tricked, by saying that she was going to send people to make a highway from frontier to the other. of course se didnot committed to it, so she took the land and never built the highways as she had said. and that is the story why Belize does not belong to Guatemala any more
[edit] Some miscellanea
I lived in ES for seven years and Guate for three, so that's my source of expertise.
1. In ES, the word "gaseosa" is used for soda. In Guatemala, it's "agua." If you want water, you have to ask for "agua pura."
2. There are nicknames for all of the Central Americans. I'm not sure if these are used throughout the isthmus, and everyone's got a different story as to their origin: Salvadorans: guanacos Guatemalas: chapines Honduras: catrachos Nicaraguans: chochos (I think) Costa Ricans: ticos
3. I see on the CA slang page in Spanish you have the word "coger" for both CA and Spain as "to get," but in Central America it means "to have sexual relations with," so you want to avoid it. As you show for ES, one word for pig is "cuche"; however, in Guatemala, it's "coche," which also means "car." So I met Spaniards who would say, "Voy a coger el coche," meaning they were going to go get the car, but it had a totally different meaning for the chapines who would be rolling on the floor...
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- Just wanted to clear something up, Nicaraguans are not referred to as 'chochos' that is considered an insult, 'chocho' means dog/s. Nicaraguans are know as "Nicas", "Nicoyas" and "Pinoleros". LaNicoya 09:19, 25 February 2007 (UTC)
[edit] Guatemala: Abarrotería vs. Tienda
Disclaimer: I do not claim to be an expert (and would aspire to be a novice) on this topic. I was in Guatemala (Guatemala City, Flores, Antigua, and Santiago Atítlan), and saw many Tiendas, and few (if any) Abarroterías. Is the use of Abarrotería in Guatemala found in speach, while Tienda is used on signs? Srice13 01:12, 7 September 2006 (UTC)
They have the same meaning, just that for small stores Tienda is used, for medium size stores Abarrotería is used. Gtrojan 22:28, 7 September 2006 (UTC)
[edit] Maje or mae
Mae or maje is used colloquially in Costa Rica and Honduras as second person when addressing someone close[citation needed]. This isnt exactly correct, its more like the UK word mate or just inserted in a sentence but it isnt a replacement for vos, tu or usted, SqueakBox 16:09, 7 February 2007 (UTC)
