Spanish in Latin America
Spanish spoken in Spain differs from Spanish spoken throughout Latin America; where in turn Spanish may have differences (sometimes subtle, sometimes marked) from country to country (listed are countries in which Spanish is the dominant language): México, Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Venezuela, Perú, Bolivia, Paraguay, Uruguay, Ecuador, Panamá, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Puerto Rico, Cuba and the Dominican Republic. Today, in Jardín Español, and on selected days when we have good information to share with you, our gentle readers; we'll report on differences or uniqueness in meaning of words or phrases. If we find similarities in usage among two or more Latin American countries for a particular word or phrase that may be of interest, we'll share that as well.
Our philosophy in doing this is that the essence of communication is good will; which transcends all differences and unites people for the common good.
Today's Selection:
1. Avocado: Aguacate: Palta
Known throughout most of Latin America and Spain as "aguacate"; in Perú, Colombia, Chile and Argentina it is also known as "palta".
2. Moors & Christians: Moros y Cristianos
In medieval Spain, the Moros (moors) fought the Cristianos (Christians). In Spain, "Moros y Cristianos" is a popular festival held in various localities in which historical re-enactments of battles between Moors and Christians are carried out. In Cuba, "moros y cristianos" is a dish composed of Black Beans (Moros) and White Rice (Cristianos).
3. Orange: Naranja: China
In Spain, México and most of Latin America, an orange is a "naranja." In Puerto Rico, it's popularly known as "china."
4. Sneakers: Zapatillas: Champions
In Spain and Perú, shoes designed for physical activity (known in the United States as sneakers or tennis shoes), are known as "zapatillas" whereas in Puerto Rico"zapatillas" are mostly used for ballet by ballerinas. In Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic and Paraguay, the word "Champion" is used for this purpose sometimes.
5. Excellent: Padre/Padrísimo
In México only and mostly in colloquial usage, an alternative to "excellent" is the word "Padre" or the superlative "Padrísimo".
6. Displeasing/Bad: De Madre
In Cuba and among Cuban-Americans, to express something that is displeasing, or bad, the phrase "De Madre" is used informally, colloquially.
With that we finish this first installment of "Spanish in Latin America," we hope you have found it useful.
If you know or learn of any regional differences or similarities in Spanish throughout Latin America, please let us know! ¡Muchas gracias!
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