Español de Cuba
Cuban spanish is a another distinct dialect of spanish which shares many characteristics with other dialects like Dominican and Puerto Rican spanish. Cuban spanish is well known for its weak pronunciation of consonants which gives Cuban spanish a more relaxed sound. For example, like with Argentine spanish, Cuban Spanish aspirates the /s/ in the middle of words: the word mosca would be pronounced in Cuban like "mo[h]ka". Furthermore they may just drop off the last /s/ in a word like despues and instead it would sound "depue" which combines dropping off an /s/ in the middle and end of a word. Another linguistic difference of Cuban spanish is that when a word ends in /r/ this may be dropped just like the /s/ or the /r/ may be changed to an /l/ or /j/. Additionally with the relaxed pronunciation in Cuba, oftentimes the /d/, /b/ and /g/ are barely pronounced, if at all, if they come after a vowel. Just like Chilean spanish, a /d/ can be lost in a word if it is between two vowels like in the word "llegado" which would be pronounced "llegao". Lastly, the "ll" is commonly pronounced as a "j".
As with every other country's dialect we have focused on thus far, there has been the influence of other languages that have changed the way that the country speaks spanish. In terms of Cuban Spanish there have been influences from African languages, spanish from Spain, English and French. In fact, there are even regional differences of the spanish spoken in Cuba. Due to the large coffee and sugarcane plantations on the eastern side of Cuba, there is a greater influence of the African languages. These languages have had an influence in terms of vocabulary and the rhythmic intonations of the way the spanish is spoken. The article Pre-Colombian and Colonial America discusses how "Europe’s insatiable demand for sugar spread slavery into the Caribbean during the seventeenth century, and in the eighteenth century, the Spanish island of Cuba followed where the English and French West Indian planters had led. But, if Cuba was a relatively late developer of slave-based plantations, slavery lasted longer there than elsewhere in the Caribbean. The conversion of Cuba into a slave society inhibited Cubans from joining the movements towards independence in Spanish America in 1810, and Cuba retained both colonial rule and slavery until both were overthrown at the close of the nineteenth century". This long lasting presence of African slaves and slavery would show how these African languages would come to have a lasting impact on the spanish of Cuba. The western side of Cuba on the other hand, has more influences of Castilian spanish (spanish from spain) and other european languages due to the proximity to the Capital and the main seaports.
It is also interesting to note the languages that are spoken in present day Cuba. The most common language is spanish, then Haitian creole which has about 300,000 speakers (4% of the population), followed by the African language Lucumi and then Catalan which is one of the dialects from spain.
Some special words and expressions in Cuba include: asere/caballo, ¿Qué bolá?, él es un paquetero, jama, monado, pasta, baro/chavito/fula. Asere or caballo are both way to says friend. ¿Qué bolá? is a common phrase to say how are you. El es un paquetero is a way to say that someone is a liar. Jama is a way to refer to food. Monado, an important word to know, means police. A fun and interesting word is "pasta" and in Cuba this is a way to refer to a fiancee. Lastly, baro/chavito/fula are all ways to say money.
In Cuba is it common to address people as "companero/a" instead of "senior/a". It is also common to address strangers with affectionate names like: "carino", "mi corazon" or "mi amor" meaning dear, my heart or my love respectively.
If you are interested in learning some more words that are specific to cuba, check out this link!
http://www.tamaramariecoaching.com/cuban-spanish-slang-phrases-expressions/
As with every other country's dialect we have focused on thus far, there has been the influence of other languages that have changed the way that the country speaks spanish. In terms of Cuban Spanish there have been influences from African languages, spanish from Spain, English and French. In fact, there are even regional differences of the spanish spoken in Cuba. Due to the large coffee and sugarcane plantations on the eastern side of Cuba, there is a greater influence of the African languages. These languages have had an influence in terms of vocabulary and the rhythmic intonations of the way the spanish is spoken. The article Pre-Colombian and Colonial America discusses how "Europe’s insatiable demand for sugar spread slavery into the Caribbean during the seventeenth century, and in the eighteenth century, the Spanish island of Cuba followed where the English and French West Indian planters had led. But, if Cuba was a relatively late developer of slave-based plantations, slavery lasted longer there than elsewhere in the Caribbean. The conversion of Cuba into a slave society inhibited Cubans from joining the movements towards independence in Spanish America in 1810, and Cuba retained both colonial rule and slavery until both were overthrown at the close of the nineteenth century". This long lasting presence of African slaves and slavery would show how these African languages would come to have a lasting impact on the spanish of Cuba. The western side of Cuba on the other hand, has more influences of Castilian spanish (spanish from spain) and other european languages due to the proximity to the Capital and the main seaports.
It is also interesting to note the languages that are spoken in present day Cuba. The most common language is spanish, then Haitian creole which has about 300,000 speakers (4% of the population), followed by the African language Lucumi and then Catalan which is one of the dialects from spain.
Some special words and expressions in Cuba include: asere/caballo, ¿Qué bolá?, él es un paquetero, jama, monado, pasta, baro/chavito/fula. Asere or caballo are both way to says friend. ¿Qué bolá? is a common phrase to say how are you. El es un paquetero is a way to say that someone is a liar. Jama is a way to refer to food. Monado, an important word to know, means police. A fun and interesting word is "pasta" and in Cuba this is a way to refer to a fiancee. Lastly, baro/chavito/fula are all ways to say money.
In Cuba is it common to address people as "companero/a" instead of "senior/a". It is also common to address strangers with affectionate names like: "carino", "mi corazon" or "mi amor" meaning dear, my heart or my love respectively.
If you are interested in learning some more words that are specific to cuba, check out this link!
http://www.tamaramariecoaching.com/cuban-spanish-slang-phrases-expressions/
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