Many have heard that in Argentina they speak a little differently, not like in Spain, i.e. has its own dialect of Spanish. In this article I wanted to give information about what this “Argentine Spanish” is...
Over the past centuries, the Argentine dialect of Spanish has received many borrowings from the languages spoken by immigrants in Argentina: English, Italian, Portuguese and French.
The formation of the Argentine version began in 1537, when the first Spanish settlement was founded in Argentina, Asuncion. Further, during the Napoleonic rule, distant Argentina began to attract the attention of Britain, at which time the infusion of the English language took place in the formation of the so-called “Argentine”.
At the beginning of the 19th century, Argentina gained independence and became one of the leading agricultural producers in the world, and thanks to this, many immigrants from the United States and Canada arrived in the country. And at the beginning of the 20th century, the population of Argentina was replenished by immigrants from Slavic countries, however, they did not influence the formation of the language.
Below is a photo of the Port in Buenos Aires in the 19th century
Oddly enough, in the speech of Argentines one can find many words and borrowings from the Quechua language, the language of the indigenous population of Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay, which was official in these territories before the arrival of the Spaniards. Today, about 12 million people in Argentina speak Quechua, using the Quechua writing system based on the Spanish alphabet.
In Argentine Spanish you can find two major dialects - Lumphardo and Castellano, and only Castellano is officially recognized. Lumfardo is slang from the criminalized outskirts of Buenos Aires, in other words, a thieves' language.
Argentine Spanish differs from the classical version of Castellano in much the same way as the dialects of the border regions of Russia and Ukraine differ from the Russian language. Some words and expressions are quite interesting, but sometimes difficult to understand due to differences in pronunciation, but it is quite possible to communicate.
However, the Argentinean version of Spanish in Buenos Aires is quite noticeably different from the pronunciation in other cities of the country. For example, take the word castellano. Double ale in Buenos Aires is pronounced "zh", and in other regions, like in Spain, "l". Also in Argentina they do not pronounce the interdental sound th, which is represented by the letters s or z.
By the way, due to this, for a Russian-speaking person, the Argentine dialect of Spanish is even easier to pronounce than the classic Castilian version.
The formation of Argentine Spanish on the basis of many immigrant languages brought not only differences in phonetics. While pronunciation does not always impede understanding, different meanings of words can make life significantly more difficult for a visitor to Argentina who speaks classical Spanish.
However, there are some nuances that will immediately identify a non-local resident in Argentina. Moreover, the most serious of them is quite funny at first glance - it’s just one word - coger. For the Spaniard it means “to take” and is used quite often in many constructions. An Argentine will try not to use coger again, since in Argentina it means having sex. :) Moreover, this is not a decent verb at all. So if you want to coger un taxi (take a taxi), it's better to say tomar un taxi.
The most frequently used words from the list of other words include: mantequilla (butter), which in the Argentine version would be manteca, melocotón (peach) – turning into durably, patata(potato) - papa in Argentinean. However, the list of vocabulary differences is much longer.
Another feature of the Argentine dialect is the emphasis on the last syllable in verbs that are used in the singular gender in the imperative mood. Spanish has almost no final syllable stress, a feature of Argentine Spanish that was "gifted" to the natives by their immigrant ancestors from France. For example, in the Spanish version it is tómalo, and in the Argentine version it is tomálo.
Also in the Argentinean version there is no word tu - instead they use the form vos, which is called a phenomenon « Voseo". Another example of the differences in this regard:
vos cantás - tú cantas - you sing
vos sos - tú eres - “you are”
The above phenomenon « Voseo" existed in Spain in the Middle Ages. Form "vos" was considered more formal and respectful than the "tú" form , at the same time, the address to “tú” was somewhat disparaging. When the honorific form "vuestra merced" ("Your Grace") arose, which then changed: vuesa merced > vusted > usted, forms "vos" and “tú” began to be used in the same meaning, and then the form “tú” replaced the form "vos"; but in most of Latin America, including Argentina, the form has been preserved "vos", but not "tú".
Argentine Spanish is difficult to confuse with the classical version of the language. Moreover, due to the different meanings of many words, translators from Argentine Spanish are extremely valued on the international linguistic labor market, especially those who specialize in simultaneous interpretation.
But for a non-professional, these differences between these dialects are not as global as they seem at first glance. A person who knows classic Spanish can easily communicate with a resident of Argentina.
If you are interested in learning the Argentine version of Spanish, which many people think is much more beautiful than Castellano Spanish, write to me by email or call, I will tell you where and when lessons of the Argentine version of Spanish take place in Podolsk.
The first mention of the Spanish language dates back to the 2nd century BC and it appeared on the Iberian Peninsula and has now spread to several continents. It is spoken by more than 400 million people in different countries of the world. Such a phenomenon as Latin American Spanish appeared thanks to the arrival of the conquistadors in America. Then the conquered countries began to speak the language of the invaders, mixed with local dialects. This is the same Spanish language, it is not distinguished separately, but is called a dialect or “national variant of the language.”
About 300 million Spanish-speaking people live in 19 countries of Latin America, for half of them it is a second language, and there is also a local one. Among the population there are many Indians, there are Uruguayans, Guarani, their number ranges from 2% (in Argentina) to 95% in Paraguay. For them, Spanish has not become their native language; many do not even know it at all. In some countries, archaisms have been preserved - words, addresses and figures of speech that have not been used for a long time.
Today, in addition to Spain itself, Spanish is spoken in Mexico and the countries of Central America - Honduras, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Panama, Nicaragua. There are 3 countries in the Antilles with the predominant use of the language - Cuba, the Dominican Republic and Costa Rico. On the mainland of South America there are also countries that use Spanish as their main or second language - Colombia, Ecuador, Chile, Venezuela, Peru, Bolivia. The Rioplata region of the mainland is occupied by the states: Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay; a lot of Spanish-speaking people live on their territory (more than 90% of Argentines speak Spanish).
Reasons for differences in language in different Latin American countries
The territory of modern Peru was inhabited for a long time by colonizers, mainly of noble origin, so the Spanish language in this country is closest to the original one. At the same time, unskilled workers and peasants lived in Chile and Argentina, who spoke more without complex phrases and words, simply in a working manner. Therefore, the Spanish language in Chile, its Chilean version, is very different from the classical pure one.
In countries where mainly Guarani Indians lived, the original Spanish mixed heavily with the local language, borrowing from them the features of spoken language, pronunciation and vocabulary. This option is most evident in Paraguay. But on the territory of modern Argentina lived both Spanish colonialists and local residents, as well as immigrants, who made up up to 30% of the total population. So the pure language was diluted by the dialect of local residents and the peculiarities of the conversation of visitors, in particular Italians.
Lexical features
The vocabulary of the Spanish language has undergone changes since the beginning of its existence, borrowing words and meanings from different languages and dialects. The conquest of the territory of modern Latin America was no exception. When the Spaniards came here, the bulk of the population were Indians and local tribes with their own linguistic characteristics. The colonizers, in turn, brought their families, black slaves, and their own speech patterns. Thus, all changes in vocabulary that occurred in Spanish in these countries can be divided into 2 main groups:
- Local words that have entered the Spanish vocabulary, denoting some features of the life and life of the indigenous inhabitants of the mainland, as well as Anglo-Saxon, Italian or American concepts;
- Spanish words that have undergone changes while living in Latin American countries.
A separate category of words – archaisms, or “Americanisms” – appeared due to the transition of some concepts into the vocabulary of local residents from the Spanish language. Their peculiarity lies in the fact that in Spain they have not been used for a long time or have been greatly modified, turning into a new word.
For example, the word “pollera”, used in Latin America, means “skirt”, but is not used at all in Spain. This also includes prieto (black color) and frazada (blanket), which in Spanish would sound like negro and manta, respectively.
Thanks to the Indians and other peoples living on the mainland, many words hitherto unknown to the Spaniards came into the Spanish language.
- Scientists call them indichenisms.
- For example, papa (potato), caucho (rubber), llama (llama), quina (hina) and tapir (tapir) were not known to the Spaniards at all before arriving in South America.
And from the territory of modern Mexico, from the language of the Aztecs, Nahuatl, came the concepts used by Mexicans today - cacahuete (groundnut), hule (rubber), petaea (snuffbox). Many words came from the need to denote objects and plants previously unknown to the Spaniards.
Phonetic differences between languages
In the pronunciation of some words and letters, you can also find differences between classic Spanish and its Latin American version. Their appearance is due to the same reasons as new concepts - some sounds simply did not exist in the language of the indigenous people, they did not hear them, and some were pronounced in their own way. In general, pronunciation in the American version is softer and more melodic, words are pronounced less sharply and more slowly.
Jorge Sánchez Mendez, a linguist and scientist, describes the general sound of the Spanish language in different countries of Latin America:
- Catalan (classical) – sounds sharp and authoritative, the words are pronounced heavily, firmly;
In the Antilles on the contrary, all sounds are pronounced softly, speech is fluid, flowing;
Andalusian variant– brighter, sonorous and lively;
In Mexico speak softly and slowly, speech is unhurried and careful;
In Chile and Ecuador– melodious, melodic, sounds soft and calm;
and here is the conversation on the territory Rio de la Plata seems slow, calm and unhurried.
The main differences in pronunciation are recorded by the Institutes of Language Studies, have their own names and are as follows:
- Same pronunciation of letters "r" and "l", if they are at the end of a syllable. This feature is typical for the population of the countries of Venezuela and Argentina, some regions of the state - Puerto Rico, Colombia, and on the shores of Ecuador. For example, calamares in transcription looks like this - soldado sounds like , and the word amor reads like .
- Phonetic phenomenon Yeismo– the sound of the letters ll in combination, like “y”, or like “zh” - in Argentina. For example, the word “calle” is translated as “street” and is pronounced in Spain, in Latin American countries and in Argentina. Found in Mexico, Colombia and Peru, Chile and western Ecuador, as well as on the Caribbean coast.
- Changing the pronunciation of the letter "s", if it is at the end of a syllable, this feature is called aspiration. As for example in the words: este (this) will sound like, mosca (fly) is pronounced. Sometimes the letter is simply lost and not pronounced - las botas (shoes) are made into .
- Seseo – phonetic featureь, found in almost all countries of Latin America and consists in pronouncing the letters “s” and “z”, and sometimes “s”, as [s]. For example, pobreza sounds like , zapato - , and entices would be pronounced like - .
- Shifting stress in some words to an adjacent vowel or another syllable: pais is read as in Spain and other Spanish-speaking countries.
These are the most common differences; there are many more small ones that involve different pronunciations of the same word. Despite these differences, representatives of states in South America have no difficulty understanding the Spaniards and each other.
Word formation
Hispanics use suffixes in words more often than Spaniards, the main ones being –ico/ica and –ito/ita. For example, platita (money) comes from the word "plata", ranchito (ranch) from "rancho", ahorita (now) from "ahora", and prontito (soon) comes from "pronto". In addition, some nouns have a different gender than in classical Spanish. For example, the word actor in Spain is masculine and pronounced comediante, and in Latin America - comedianta is feminine, the call in Spain la lamada is feminine, in Latin American countries ell lamado is masculine.
The same applies to animals, for which the Catalan language uses one word and most often it is masculine. And in Latin America they also added feminine ones: tigre, male. – tigra, female (tiger), caiman, male – caimana, female (cayman), sapo, husband – sapa, female (toad).
Basically, new words are formed by taking a root of non-Spanish origin and adding suffixes and prefixes to it. The basis is taken on common American concepts, adapted to a specific situation and nationality. Word-forming particles or suffixes are added to them, which give them a completely different meaning: -ada, -ero, -ear, -menta.
They all have their own history, “nationality” and meaning. For example, the suffix –menta is actively used in word formation in the Venezuelan dialect; it has a general meaning: papelamnta – a pile of papers, perramenta – a pack of dogs. The suffix –io has the same meaning for the countries of Uruguay and Argentina – tablerio – a pile of stones.
In the words picada (path), sahleada (saber strike), nicada (company of children), “-ada” has a collective meaning or defining belonging to something. More examples: gauchada (an act characteristic of a gaucho), ponchada (a volume of things that can fit on a poncho) and so on.
But the suffix –ear creates new verbs or American nouns: tanguear - dance the tango, jinitear - ride a horse and other examples. The Spanish language in South America is more mobile, lively and developing than its European counterpart. Here there is a constant replenishment of the vocabulary, the formation of new concepts and phrases, due to the movement of the population across the mainland and the arrival of immigrants.
Grammatical differences
The grammar features characteristic of Latin America have their own system and are the result of many years of language evolution. The Spanish have a concept of "grammatical gender" applied to inanimate objects.
In the Latin American version there are words with the same meaning, but of strictly opposite gender. In Spain - el color (color), el fin (end), la bombilla (light bulb), la vuelta (surrender), and in South American countries - la color, la fin el bombillo, el vuelto.
The plural endings are also systematically different in different countries: café (1 cafe) - cafes (several cafes), te (tea) - tes (several types of tea), pie (leg) - pies (legs), and in Latin America they will be be called: cafeses, teses, pieses, respectively.
- Peculiarities.
- Words that have only a plural form (scissors, trousers, pliers) in the South American version are also used in the singular: tijeraz - tiera (scissors), bombachas - bombacha (trousers) and tenazas - tenaza (pliers). If a noun ends with the letters –ey, then according to the rules of the Spanish language their plural is formed by adding the ending “-es”, while in Latin America the ending is simplified: buey (bull) - bueyes/bueys, or rey (king) - reyes /reys.
When addressing people, Spaniards use the pronoun “you” - vosotros; in Latin America they address strangers - ustedes. And the pronoun “you” sounds like “vos” in South America and like “tu” in Europe.
As a conclusion
The result of the comparison is the understanding that Spanish is a living and spoken language, therefore it develops, breathes and absorbs new words, concepts and phrases. It depends on the national, territorial, cultural characteristics of the people speaking it. All differences are the result of a natural process of evolution and in no way affect the understanding of the Spanish dialect by representatives of different countries.
If you decide to learn a language, then you do not necessarily need to know these features and memorize them in order to travel to any country in Latin America. The classic version of Spanish is enough, you will be able to communicate with the locals, and the presence of “own” words is characteristic of each language, Russian is no exception. In each region of our country, there are several dozen phrases and concepts used only within a small territory, but this does not at all prevent us from understanding each other, even living in different regions of the Russian Federation.
1. Nauru, 200 tourists per year
Why so few
Nauru is a tiny island nation in the Pacific Ocean. This is the smallest republic in the world: its area is only 21 square kilometers. There are no attractions there as most of the island is one large open-pit phosphate mine. Only one airline flies there. To get to Nauru, you will need a visa, and this country does not have many embassies abroad.
Why it's worth a visit
The beaches of the island are really very beautiful. The coral reefs surrounding Nauru make it a suitable place for snorkeling or fishing. True, the country has a population of only 10,000 people, there is huge unemployment and almost no nightlife. There are two hotels here: a “chic” one on the beach and an ordinary one in the town.
What else
Nauru is the only country in the world without a capital. The most populated place here is Yaren. By the way, there is even an Internet cafe here, so you can update your Facebook statuses.
2. Somalia, 500 tourists per year
Why so few.
War, the absence of a government for several years, Muslim extremists, Sharia law - Somalia has a downright murderous reputation.
Why it's worth a visit
The government started working again. The capital of the state, Mogadishu, is now relatively safe. Turkish Airlines even started flying here.
What else
Go to the beach, but only outside of Mogadishu. Visit the Bakaara market, where you can buy a passport of a Somali citizen - it will be something to scare your friends. If your travel experience does not extend beyond the Bahamas, Paris or the Canary Islands, then do not go to this country under any circumstances!
3. Tuvalu, 1200 tourists
Why so few
The reason is the same for both Tuvalu and the neighboring Republic of Kiribati. The countries are practically not connected to the rest of the world by air routes, although you can travel from one to another by boat. Only Air Pacific flies to Tuvalu and Kiribati.
Why it's worth a visit
People in the know have been sounding the alarm for a long time: sea levels are rising, and Tuvalu is a prime candidate for flooding. So you better hurry, otherwise you will have to rent a submarine to visit the country. The Tuvaluan government is now exploring options for purchasing land to evacuate the population there.
What else
There's nothing to see here. This is a typical Pacific paradise with beaches and palm trees.
4. Kiribati, 4,700 tourists
Why so few
Most people have never even heard of Kiribati. This place is not very popular among airlines.
Why it's worth a visit
View maps and satellite photographs of the islands on which the state is located. There are all conditions for swimming, snorkeling, diving, fishing and water sports. Are you not interested? Go to Turkmenistan, where you will find sand without water.
What else
The 33 atolls are so far apart that it takes 6 hours to fly by jet from the easternmost to the westernmost island. The total area of Kiribati is only 811 square kilometers: this is slightly larger than New York (786 square kilometers).
5. Marshall Islands, 5,000 tourists
Why so few
Try to get there. United Airlines has a monopoly on flights, and this company knows how to properly price its services.
Why it's worth a visit
For top class scuba diving!
What else
Don't expect to find cheap accommodation. But there are almost no criminals here either, so you can sleep on the beach for free.
6. Equatorial Guinea, 6,000 tourists
Why so few
You need a visa to get there if you are not American. To get a tourist visa to this state, you need to go through all the circles of bureaucratic hell.
Why is it worth visiting?
Do you know anything about Equatorial Guinea? This is the only Spanish-speaking country in Africa, and if you want to practice your Spanish, you can look here.
What else
Don't openly photograph any government buildings unless you want to get into heated and lengthy debates with the police or people pretending to be police officers. This especially applies to the presidential palace.
7. Turkmenistan, 7,000 tourists (according to 2007 data)
Why so few
Turkmenistan and North Korea are two of the craziest countries in the world. However, both there and there new leaders have recently come to power, so we should hope for the best.
Why it's worth a visit
It's incredibly interesting here. And you will feel safe thanks to a large number of police officers.
What else
Visit the "Gates of Hell" - the Darvaza gas crater in the Karakum Desert. It's very exciting and worth the 3-4 hours of travel. Stock up on food and vodka before your trip, because you will probably want to spend the night in a tent near the crater.
8. Sao Tome and Principe, 8,000 tourists (2010 data)
Why so few
It will take time to get to this country. Gunnar, for example, had to sail for 40 hours on a cargo ship.
Why it's worth a visit
It's so far away that you're more or less guaranteed peace. There are stunning beaches and mountains where you can go on excursions. And the street food here is worth trying.
What else
Take cash and make sure you have a return ticket. The airport is easily accessible on foot from Sao Tome.
9. Comoros, 15,000 tourists (2010 data)
Why so few
Guidebooks say the islands are infested with mosquitoes that carry malaria. But Gunnar saw no mosquitoes. In hotels, in any case, there are anti-malarial nets on the beds. Air travel is also difficult here.
Why it's worth a visit
Great seafood, friendly people, vibrant markets and beautiful coastline.
What else
Try on a beauty mask - many women wear them here. There is no public transport in the country, so be prepared to catch rides. Private cars or minibuses will pick you up relatively quickly.
10. Afghanistan, 17,500 tourists (according to 2012 data)
Why so few
Because of the war and the Taliban.
Why it's worth a visit
The mountains of Afghanistan are incredibly beautiful. True, they serve as a hideout for bandits and terrorists, so it’s worth waiting for better times.
What else
You will have a unique chance to try on the traditional blue burqa and then truly sympathize with Afghan women. If you are going to leave here for a third country, get a visa in advance - it will be extremely difficult to do this in Afghanistan. In addition, keep quiet about the fact that you came as a tourist - only idiots go on vacation to places where terrorist attacks occur every day.
It is one of the most widespread languages on the planet and is represented on almost all continents; this is connected both with the colonial past of Spain and with the active settlement of Spaniards around the world in the 20th century. The civil war that shook the country in the 20th century became a catalyst for the active movement of Spaniards around the world, and many supporters of communism, fleeing their fascist persecutors, even ended up in the Soviet Union.
Spanish speaking countries
If we assume that a country is considered Spanish-speaking if there is a fairly large number of people for whom Spanish is their native language, then in the world we can count more than forty countries that meet this criterion.
First of all, of course, Spanish is the official language. But there are twenty-two other countries in which Spanish is officially recognized. The community of Spanish-speaking countries traditionally includes states where the language has official status.
The list of Spanish speaking countries is as follows:
- Argentina;
- Chile;
- Colombia;
- Bolivia;
- Costa Rica;
- Cuba;
- Dominican Republic;
- Ecuador;
- Guatemala;
- Honduras;
- Mexico;
- Nicaragua;
- Panama;
- Paraguay;
- Peru;
- Puerto Rico;
- Salvador;
- Uruguay;
- Venezuela;
- Spain;
- Philippines.
Spanish-speaking countries in Africa include the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic. The Spanish language achieved a dominant position in these countries thanks to the aggressive colonialist policy of Spain, which lasted for four centuries. During this time, Spanish-speaking countries appeared in all parts of the world, and the language spread from Easter Island, today under the control of the Chilean Republic, to countries
Jewish influence
However, it was not only colonialism that contributed to the spread of the language around the world. There were other events, no less tragic, that influenced this process.
In 1492, the Spanish Queen Isabella shocked the large Jewish community of her country with a decree of incredible cruelty: all Jews had to leave the country or accept holy baptism, which, of course, was unacceptable to devout Jews. Death awaited those who disobeyed.
Within three months, many Jewish families left the kingdom, taking with them, in addition to their personal belongings, the language and culture of the Spanish kingdom. This is how the Spanish language was brought to the territory of the Ottoman Empire, and then to the state of Israel.
In addition, numerous Spanish and Jewish settlers brought the language to Morocco, which had long been safe thanks to the traditional religious tolerance of Islamic rulers.
Spanish in the USA
The United States Constitution makes no mention of an official language, and most states do not have special laws governing this issue. However, along with English, Spanish is actively used in the country, therefore, although the United States is not considered a Spanish-speaking country, in some states Spanish is also used in government agencies.
The large number of Hispanic Americans is not only due to migration, as it might seem, but also to historical events in the nineteenth century, when Mexico and the United States actively competed for influence in North America.
The result of this confrontation was a devastating war that lasted two years from 1846 to 1848. As a result of the war, more than a million square kilometers of land were alienated from Mexico, which amounted to almost half the territory of the losing country. Along with these lands, the United States also received Spanish-speaking citizens. Since then, Spanish has been the second most widely spoken language in many southern states, and in some states Spanish is spoken by a majority of the population.
