Cuban Spanish
Encyclopedia
Cuban Spanish is the dialect of the Spanish language
as it is spoken in Cuba
. As a Caribbean dialect
, Cuban Spanish shares a number of features with nearby varieties, including coda deletion, seseo, and /s/ debuccalization.
One of the most prominent features of Cuban Spanish is the debuccalization
of /s/ in the syllable coda
. This trait is shared with many other Caribbean varieties of Spanish, as well as those further away.
Take for example, the following sentence:
Also, because /s/ may also be deleted in the syllable coda and because this feature has variable realizations, any or all instances of [h] in the above example may be dropped, potentially rendering [ˈeso ˈpero no ˈtjenen ˈdweɲo]. Other examples: "disfrutar" (to enjoy) is pronounced "difrutar", "fresco" (fresh) becomes "freco". In Havana, "despues" is typically pronounced "depue".
Another instance of lenition, in Cuban Spanish is the deletion of final intervocalic /d/. With intervocalic deletion (e.g. condado [konˈda.o] 'county'). "Tumbado" is pronounced "tumbao".
Another characteristic of Cuban Spanish is the use of the diminutive -ico and -ica instead of the standard -ito and -ita. But this use is restricted to words with -t in the last syllable. For example, plato ('plate') platico instead of platito while cara ('face') becomes carita. This form is common to the Venezuelan, Cuban, Costa Rican and Colombian dialects.
Like in most Socialist states, the term compañero/compañera (meaning "comrade") is used instead of the common señor/señora.
The Cuban Spanish of the eastern provinces (former Oriente) is closer to the Dominican Republic Spanish than to the Spanish spoken in the western part of the island.
, traditional Cuban Spanish is most similar to, and originates largely from the Spanish spoken in the Canary Islands
of Spain
. Cuba owes much of its speech patterns to the heavy Canarian migrations, of the 19th and early 20th centuries. Migrations of other Spaniards such as Galicians, Catalans, Basques and Asturians also occurred, though without as considerable an influence.
Much of the typical Cuban replacements for standard Spanish vocabulary stems from Canarian lexicon
. For example, guagua ('bus') differs from standard Spanish autobús. The word guagua originated in the Canaries and is an onomatopoeia stemming from the sound of a Klaxon horn. An example of Canarian usage for a Spanish word is the verb fajarse ('to fight'). In standard Spanish the verb
would be pelearse, while fajar exists as a non-reflexive verb related to the hemming of a skirt
.
Much of the vocabulary peculiar to Cuban Spanish comes from the different historic influences on the island. Many words come from the Canary Islands
, but some words are of West African, French or indigenous Taino origin, as well as peninsular Spanish influence outside of the Canary Islands, such as Andalusian or Galician. American influence has lent several words such as pulover (which is used to mean "T-shirt") and chor ("shorts", with the typical Spanish change from English 'sh' to 'ch') for clothing. The unique political situation today has led to the development of words which are specific to modern Cuban culture.
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
as it is spoken in Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
. As a Caribbean dialect
Caribbean Spanish
Caribbean Spanish is the general name of the Spanish dialects spoken in the Caribbean region. It closely resembles the Spanish spoken in the Canary Islands and Andalusia....
, Cuban Spanish shares a number of features with nearby varieties, including coda deletion, seseo, and /s/ debuccalization.
Overview
Differences with other dialects are most notable in the pronunciation of certain consonants, especially with relation to their syllabic position.One of the most prominent features of Cuban Spanish is the debuccalization
Debuccalization
Debuccalization is a sound change in which a consonant loses its original place of articulation and becomes or . The pronunciation of a consonant as is sometimes called aspiration, but in phonetics aspiration is the burst of air accompanying a plosive...
of /s/ in the syllable coda
Syllable coda
In phonology, a syllable coda comprises the consonant sounds of a syllable that follow the nucleus, which is usually a vowel. The combination of a nucleus and a coda is called a rime. Some syllables consist only of a nucleus with no coda...
. This trait is shared with many other Caribbean varieties of Spanish, as well as those further away.
Take for example, the following sentence:
- Esos perros no tienen dueños
- [ˈesoh ˈperoh no ˈtjenen ˈdweɲoh]
Also, because /s/ may also be deleted in the syllable coda and because this feature has variable realizations, any or all instances of [h] in the above example may be dropped, potentially rendering [ˈeso ˈpero no ˈtjenen ˈdweɲo]. Other examples: "disfrutar" (to enjoy) is pronounced "difrutar", "fresco" (fresh) becomes "freco". In Havana, "despues" is typically pronounced "depue".
Another instance of lenition, in Cuban Spanish is the deletion of final intervocalic /d/. With intervocalic deletion (e.g. condado [konˈda.o] 'county'). "Tumbado" is pronounced "tumbao".
Another characteristic of Cuban Spanish is the use of the diminutive -ico and -ica instead of the standard -ito and -ita. But this use is restricted to words with -t in the last syllable. For example, plato ('plate') platico instead of platito while cara ('face') becomes carita. This form is common to the Venezuelan, Cuban, Costa Rican and Colombian dialects.
Like in most Socialist states, the term compañero/compañera (meaning "comrade") is used instead of the common señor/señora.
The Cuban Spanish of the eastern provinces (former Oriente) is closer to the Dominican Republic Spanish than to the Spanish spoken in the western part of the island.
Origins of Cuban Spanish
Of all the regional variations of the Spanish languageSpanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
, traditional Cuban Spanish is most similar to, and originates largely from the Spanish spoken in the Canary Islands
Canary Islands
The Canary Islands , also known as the Canaries , is a Spanish archipelago located just off the northwest coast of mainland Africa, 100 km west of the border between Morocco and the Western Sahara. The Canaries are a Spanish autonomous community and an outermost region of the European Union...
of Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
. Cuba owes much of its speech patterns to the heavy Canarian migrations, of the 19th and early 20th centuries. Migrations of other Spaniards such as Galicians, Catalans, Basques and Asturians also occurred, though without as considerable an influence.
Much of the typical Cuban replacements for standard Spanish vocabulary stems from Canarian lexicon
Lexicon
In linguistics, the lexicon of a language is its vocabulary, including its words and expressions. A lexicon is also a synonym of the word thesaurus. More formally, it is a language's inventory of lexemes. Coined in English 1603, the word "lexicon" derives from the Greek "λεξικόν" , neut...
. For example, guagua ('bus') differs from standard Spanish autobús. The word guagua originated in the Canaries and is an onomatopoeia stemming from the sound of a Klaxon horn. An example of Canarian usage for a Spanish word is the verb fajarse ('to fight'). In standard Spanish the verb
Verb
A verb, from the Latin verbum meaning word, is a word that in syntax conveys an action , or a state of being . In the usual description of English, the basic form, with or without the particle to, is the infinitive...
would be pelearse, while fajar exists as a non-reflexive verb related to the hemming of a skirt
Skirt
A skirt is a tube- or cone-shaped garment that hangs from the waist and covers all or part of the legs.In the western world, skirts are usually considered women's clothing. However, there are exceptions...
.
Much of the vocabulary peculiar to Cuban Spanish comes from the different historic influences on the island. Many words come from the Canary Islands
Canary Islands
The Canary Islands , also known as the Canaries , is a Spanish archipelago located just off the northwest coast of mainland Africa, 100 km west of the border between Morocco and the Western Sahara. The Canaries are a Spanish autonomous community and an outermost region of the European Union...
, but some words are of West African, French or indigenous Taino origin, as well as peninsular Spanish influence outside of the Canary Islands, such as Andalusian or Galician. American influence has lent several words such as pulover (which is used to mean "T-shirt") and chor ("shorts", with the typical Spanish change from English 'sh' to 'ch') for clothing. The unique political situation today has led to the development of words which are specific to modern Cuban culture.