An Example of Bilingualism
Hablo un mix de los dos languagés
A short Spanglish conversation:
•
Anita:
•
Mark:
"Hola, good morning, como estás?"
"Good, y tú?"
•
•
Anita: morning."
"Todo bien. Pero tuve problemas parqueando mi carro this
Mark: time".
"Sí, I know. Siempre hay problemas parqueando in la area at this
•Code-switching - moving from one language to another in normal conversation (it is very important to honor you abuelitas (grandparents)"
•Borrowing - the adaptation of an English word into a Spanish form ("Quiero parquear el coche")
•Direct translation - translation of an expression directly into Spanish using English syntax ("Te
llamo para atrás" for "I’ll call you back")
•Phonetic translation - the children’s cold remedy
'Vick’s VaporRub' affectionately becomes
"bibaporú"
•
–
Tex-mex (or Chicano):
Mexican-based in Texas
–
Cubonics: Cuban-based in
Florida
–
Newyorican: Puerto Ricobased in New York
A Selection of Spanglishaeróbica
(ay-RO-bi-ka) -- dynamic female. averaje (a-ve-RAH-je) -- average. boila (BOY-lah) -- heating appliance, boiler. carpeta (kar-PE-tah) -- carpet. chopin (TCHO-peen) -- 1.Shopping center mall. 2. n., going shopping. deiof (dey-OF) -- day off. frizer (FREE-zer) -- refrigerator. grocear (gro-SEAR) -- to acquire groceries. jonrón (khon-RON) -- home run. lonche (LONCHE) -- 1. midday meal. 2. food served to guests at event.
marqueta (mar-ke-tah) -- supermarket. pari (PA-ree) -- a party. ruki (ROOH-kee) -- novice.
From Spanglish: The Making of a New
American Language (Rayo, an imprint of
HarperCollins)
•
•
•
•
•
•
Final C dropping
–
Fast food fas foo [fas fu]
C softening
–
[p h en] [pen]
–
[kuba] [ kubHa ]
Final nasal substitution ([m] [n])
–
Steam [stim] [estin]
Initial schwa insertion in [s]C
–
Speak espeak
(Complete) labialization of [v]
–
Venezuela [benezuela]
Defricativization of [ š]
–
Shopping chopping
Spanishization – Morphological adaptation
•
•
•
Spanish Verbalizer in English verbs
–
–
Hang out hangear (-ar & -ear are Spanish verbalizers)
Lunch
lonchar
Spanish nominalizers in English verbs
–
–
–
Leak
likeo (or liqueo) –eo/-ero:Spanish nominalizers
Park
parkeo
Holdup(pers)
joldoperos
Spanish inflection for English words
–
Latin(girl or boy)
Latina/Latino (-a/-o mark gender)
•
(It could also be considered a pure borrowing)
•
‘ embarkated ’
(a Spanish word ‘ embarcar ’ or ‘let
someone down’, is inflected with
English morphology)
•
•
•
•
•
Cultural identity
Naturalness
Language gaps
–
English is concise and efficient
–
Spanish has sabrosura, flavor
(Clark, p. 486)
Informality (humor & creativity)
Social status
Silvana Paternostro: Let’s take that argument a little bit further. If they don’t learn [English], they also will not follow the rules of what being an
American means?
Ilan Stavans*: Right. English is the great equalizer.
Through language comes education, through language comes political participation, language becomes the way of being and of dreaming, and all that, and then the “I love you, America.” And that is not happening.
* author of Spanglish: The Making of A New American Language
Acculturation – cultural modification of an individual, group, or people by adapting to or borrowing traits from another culture; also : a merging of cultures as a result of prolonged contact
Not Assimilation – to absorb into the culture or mores of a population or group