Chilean Spanish

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Chilean Spanish (Spanish: español chileno, español de Chile or castellano de Chile) is any of several varieties of Spanish spoken in most of Chile. Chilean Spanish dialects have distinctive pronunciation, grammar, vocabulary, and slang usage that differ from those of standard Spanish[1]

Variation and accents

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In Chile, there are not many differences between the Spanish spoken in the northern, central and southern areas of the country,[2] although there are notable differences in zones of the far south—such as Aysén, Magallanes (mainly along the border with Argentina), and Chiloé—and in Arica in the extreme north. There is, however, much variation in the Spanish spoken by different social classes.[3] In rural areas from Santiago to Valdivia, Chilean Spanish shows the historical influence of the Castúo dialects of Extremadura (Spain),[4][5] but some authors point to the Spanish province of Andalusia and more specifically to the city of Seville as an even greater influence on Chilean Spanish.

Phonetics and phonology

There are a number of phonetic features common to most Chilean accents, though none of them individually are unique to Chilean Spanish.[6] Rather, it is the particular combination of features that sets Chilean Spanish apart from other regional Spanish dialects.[7] These features include:[8][9]

  • Yeísmo, the merger of the phoneme /ʎ/ (spelled <ll>) with /j/ (spelled <y>). For speakers with yeísmo, cayó ("fell") and calló ("fell silent") are homophones, both pronounced [kaˈjo]. In dialects which lack yeísmo, the two words would be pronounced respectively [kaˈjo] and [kaˈʎo]. Although yeísmo is common to most of Latin American Spanish, this feature should not be considered an exclusively Latin American one, because both in Spain and in Spanish America there are regions both with and without yeísmo. In Chile, there are some people who are not yeístas and maintain the distinction, mainly in a dwindling few Andean areas south of Santiago.[10][11]
  • As in most other American dialects of Spanish, Chilean Spanish has seseo: the traditional phoneme /θ/ merges with /s/. In much of the Andean region, the merged phoneme is pronounced as apicoalveolar [], a sound transitional between laminodental [s] and palatal [ʃ]. This phonetic trait (unique in the Americas) is associated with a large number of northern Spanish settlers in Andean Chile.
  • Word- and syllable-final /s/ is often aspirated to [h] or lost entirely, another feature common to many varieties of Spanish in the Americas, as well as to the Canary Islands and the southern half of Spain. Whether final /s/ aspirates or is elided depends on a number of social, regional, and phonological factors, but in general, aspiration is most frequent when preceding a consonant. Complete elision is most commonly found word-finally, and it carries a sociolinguistic stigma.[12] Thus, los chilenos ("the Chileans") can be [lɔh t͡ʃiˈleːnɔ].
  • The velar consonants /k/, /ɡ/, and /x/ are fronted or palatalized before front vowels. Thus, queso ("cheese"), guía ("guide"), and jinete ("rider/horseman") are pronounced respectively [ˈceːso], [ˈɟi.a], and [çiˈn̪eːt̪e].
  • Between vowels and word-finally, /d/ commonly elides or lenites (a process common throughout the Spanish-speaking world), so that contado ("told") and ciudad ("city") are respectively [kon̪ˈt̪aːo] and [sjuˈð̞aː]. This is less common in formal or upper-class speech.
  • The voiceless postalveolar affricate /t͡ʃ/ is pronounced as a fricative [ʃ] by many the lower-class speakers (thus, Chile is pronounced [ˈʃiːle]). This type of pronunciation is viewed as very undesirable. Other variants are more fronted, and include an alveolar affricate, [t͡s], and an even more fronted dental affricate, [t̪͡s̪], mostly used by the upper class.
  • The sequences [h]+[β̞], [h]+[ð̞], and [h]+[ɣ̞] (where the [h]s are the results of /s/-aspiration) are devoiced to, respectively, [f], [θ], and [x], identical to Andalusian Spanish. Thus, resbaló ("slid"), desde ('from') and rasgó ("tore") are realized [rɛfaˈloː],[ˈdɛθːe] and [raˈxoː] by some speakers.
  • The sequence /ɾn/ is sometimes assimilated to [nn] in lower-class speakers. Thus, jornada ("workday") may be pronounced [xonˈn̪aː][citation needed].
  • In the sequence /bl/, the /b/ may be vocalized to [u]. Thus, inolvidable ("unforgettable") may be [in̪olˈβ̞jaːule], in rural and lower-class urban speakers.
  • Unstressed word-final vowels are often devoiced.[13]

Syntax and grammar

  • A common feature of most current Spanish varieties is the limited use of the verb in future form, replaced by the periphrasis "going to + infinitive." For example, a phrase like «iré al cine mañana» (I will go to the cinema tomorrow) is replaced by «voy a ir al cine mañana» (I'm going to go to the cinema tomorrow). The future conjugations are instead used to indicate doubt: «¿será esa la micro que nos sirve?» (“is this/will this be the bus that we need?”); or «ahí viene el Martín con una mochila, me pregunto si traerá lo que le encargué» (“here comes Martín with a backpack - I wonder if he will bring what I asked him to”).
  • As with all of Latin America, in Chile ustedes is used as the second person plural pronoun instead of vosotros, as used in Spain. Ustedes is accompanied by the third person plural verb: «Ustedes saben lo que podría pasar» (“You (plural) know what could happen”).
  • Duplication of the personal pronouns "me", "te", "se", "lo", "la" and "le" before and after the verb is quite common. For example, “I'm going to go” becomes Me voy a irme", “I'm going to give them to you” becomes Te las voy a dártelas. This manner of speaking is considered more common in less educated or lower class people.
  • The Queísmo (when "que" is used instead of "de que") is socially accepted and used in the media, while the Dequeísmo (using "de que" instead of just "que") is avoided.
  • In common speech, the conjugations of the Imperative mood of a small number of verbs tend to be replaced with the indicative singular third person. For example, the imperative of "poner" (to put), "pon", becomes "pone"; the imperative of "hacer" (to do), "haz", becomes "hace"; and the imperative of "salir" (to go out), "sal", becomes "sale". Ex: "Hace lo que te pedí (“Do what I asked”). However, that is not allowed in formal speaking. Chilean Spanish speakers also substitute the imperative of the verb “ir” (to go), "ve" for the imperative of the verb "andar" (to walk), "anda", while "ve" is reserved for the verb "ver" (to see). Ex: Ve la hora (“look at the time”).
  • Another feature to note is the lack of use of the possessive "nuestro" (“our”), usually replaced by "de nosotros" (“of us”). Ex: «ándate a la casa de nosotros» (“go to the house of us”), instead of «ándate a "nuestra" casa» (“go to our house”).
  • It is very common in Chile, as in many other Latin American countries, to use the diminutive suffixes "-ito" and "-ita". They not only mean “little”, as in "perrito" (“little dog”) or "casita" (“little house”), but also have the additional functions of expressing affection, as with "mamita" (“mummy” or “mommy”), or of diminishing the urgency, directness or importance of something, to make something annoying seem more pleasant.[14] So, if someone says "Espérese un momentito" (“Wait a little moment”), it does not mean that the moment will be short, but that the speaker wants to make waiting more palatable while possibly hinting that the moment may turn out to be quite long.

Pronouns and verbs

Chileans scarcely use the voseo and tuteo forms in the second person familiar, as in many Latin American countries.


Verbal voseo is the use of corresponding verb forms (tenís instead of tienes, hablái instead of hablas, etc.).

Voseo is common in Chile, with both Pronominal and Verbal voseo being widely used in the spoken language. However, unlike in neighboring Argentina, neither is deemed acceptable as part of any written document except as reported speech. Voseo of any kind is considered bad linguistic form and generally labels the speaker as unsophisticated, rude or lacking in education.

In Chile there are at least four grades of formality:

1. Pronominal and verbal voseo, that is, the use of the pronoun vos (with the corresponding voseo verbs).
For example: vos sabís, vos venís, vos hablái, etc.
This combination occurs only in very informal situations and should be approached and used with caution by foreigners. It is always considered rude and insulting but is tolerated and enjoyed as part of friendly bonding and banter. However, with even a slight change in intonation it can change from a tone of friendly banter to a form of insult in a heated argument, even among friends. Non-natives should refrain from using vos until sufficient understanding of its use is gained.

2. Verbal voseo, using the pronoun .
For example: tú sabís, tú tenís, tú hablái, tú vivís, etc.
This kind of voseo is the predominant form used in the spoken language.[15] It should never be used in formal situations or with people one is not very familiar with.

3. Standard tuteo.
For example: tú sabes, tú hablas, tú tienes, tú vienes, etc.
This is the only acceptable way of writing the informal second person. Because of this more literary facet, its use in spoken language is reserved for slightly more formal situations such as (some) child-to-parent, teacher-to-student or peer-to-peer relations among people who aren't familiar with each other.

4. The use of the pronoun usted.
For example: usted viene, usted habla, usted tiene, etc.
Used for all business and other formal interactions (e.g. student-to-teacher, but not always teacher-to-student), as well as upwards in situations where one person is considered to be well respected, older or of an obviously higher social standing. Stricter parents will demand this kind of speech from their children as well.

The Chilean voseo conjugation has only three irregular verbs in the indicative present: ser, ir, and haber.

Ser

In Chile there are various ways to say "you are" to one person. From the least to the most formal:

Vo(s) soi
Vo(s) erí(s)
Tú soi
Tú erí(s)
Tú eres
Usted es

  • The "s" is usually omitted.

Conjugation

A comparison of the conjugation of the Chilean voseo, the general voseo used in Latin American countries except Chile, and the tuteo.

Form Indicative Subjunctive
Present Past Conditional Present Past
Voseo (Chile) caminái
traí(s)
viví(s)
caminabai
traíai
vivíai
caminaríai
traeríai
viviríai
caminís
traigái
vivái
caminarai
trajerai
vivierai
Vosotras
Vosotros
camináis
traéis
vivís
caminabais
traíais
vivíais
caminaríais
traeríais
viviríais
caminéis
traigáis
viváis
caminarais
trajerais
vivierais
Voseo (general) caminás
traés
vivís
caminabas
traías
vivías
caminarías
traerías
vivirías
caminés*
traigás*
vivás*
caminaras
trajeras
vivieras
Tuteo caminas
traes
vives
camines
traigas
vivas

* Rioplatense Spanish prefers the tuteo forms.

Vocabulary

Chilean Spanish has a great deal of distinctive slang and vocabulary. Some examples of distinctive Chilean slang include gallo/a (guy/gal), fome (boring), pololear (to go out as girlfriend/boyfriend),[16] pelambre (gossip), poto (buttocks),[17] quiltro (mutt) and chomba (knitted sweater).[16] In addition, several words in Chilean Spanish are borrowed from neighboring Amerindian languages.

Coa and Lunfardo expressions

Lunfardo is an argot of the Spanish language that originated in the late 19th century among lower classes of Buenos Aires and Montevideo. Coa is an argot common among criminals in Chile. It has been heavily influenced by Lunfardo. Examples of Lunfardo and Coa words and phrases in Chilean Spanish are:[18]

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Mapudungun loanwords

The Mapudungun language has left a relatively small number of words in Chilean Spanish, given its large geographic expanse. Most Mapudungun loans are names for plants and animals for example:[19]

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Quechua loanwords

The Quechua language is probably the Amerindian language that has given Chilean Spanish the largest number of loan words. For example, the names of many American vegetables in Chilean Spanish are derived from Quechuan names, rather than from Nahuatl or Taíno as in Standard Spanish. Some of the words of Quechuan origin include:[19]

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French, German and English loanwords

There are some expressions of non-Hispanic European origin such as British, German or French. They came with the arrival of the European immigrants in the 19th and 20th centuries. There is also a certain influence from the mass media.

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Example

An example of a text in normal, carefully spoken Latin American Spanish and the same text with very relaxed pronunciation in informal Chilean Spanish of lower class people:[24]

Text ¡Cómo corrieron los chilenos Salas y Zamorano! Pelearon como leones. Chocaron una y otra vez contra la defensa azul. ¡Qué gentío llenaba el estadio! En verdad fue una jornada inolvidable. Ajustado cabezazo de Salas y ¡gol! Al celebrar [Salas] resbaló y se rasgó la camiseta.
Pronunciation
("Standard" Latin American Spanish)
[ˈkomo koˈrjeɾon los tʃiˈlenos ˈsalas i samoˈɾano | peleˈaɾoŋ ˈkomo ˈle‿ones | tʃoˈkaɾon ˈuna j‿ˈot̪ɾa ˈβ̞es ˈkon̪t̪ɾa la ð̞eˈfens aˈsul | ˈke xen̪ˈt̪io ʝeˈnaβ̞a‿el esˈt̪að̞jo | em beɾˈð̞að̞ ˈfwe‿una xoɾˈnað̞a‿inolβ̞iˈð̞aβ̞le | axusˈt̪að̞o kaβ̞eˈsaso ð̞e ˈsalas i ˈɣ̞ol | al seleˈβ̞ɾaɾ rezβ̞aˈlo‿i se razˈɣ̞o la kamiˈset̪a]
Pronunciation
(Chilean Spanish)
[ˈkoːmo kɔˈr̥jeːɾon̪ lɔh ʃiˈleːn̪o ˈsaːla‿i samoˈɾaːn̪o | peˈljaːɾoŋ komo ˈljoːn̪ɛh | ʃoˈkaːɾon̪ ˈuːn̪a j‿ot͡ɹ̝̥a ˈβ̞eːh kon̪t͡ɹ̝̥a la‿eˈfeːns aˈsuːl | ˈceː çen̪ˈt̪iːo jeˈn̪aː‿el eˈʰt̪aːð̞jo | ʔem bɛɾˈð̞aː ˈfweː‿un̪a xonˈn̪aː‿in̪olˈβ̞iaːule | ʔaxuˈʰt̪aːo kaβeˈsaːso‿e ˈsaːla‿i ˈɣ̞oːl | ʔal seleˈβ̞ɾaː r̥ɛfaˈloː‿i se r̥aˈxoː la kamiˈseːt̪a]
Translation "How those Chileans Salas and Zamorano ran! They fought like lions. They beat again and again against the blues' defense. What a crowd filled the stadium! In truth it was an unforgettable day. A tight header from Salas and... goal! Celebrating, Salas slid and ripped his shirt."

See also

References

  1. Miguel Ángel Bastenier, "Neologismos y barbarismos en el español de dos océanos", El País, 19 July 2014, retrieved 20 July 2014. "...el chileno es un producto genuino e inimitable por el resto del universo lingüístico del español."
  2. Canfield (1981:31)
  3. CLASES SOCIALES, LENGUAJE Y SOCIALIZACION Basil Bernstein, http://www.infoamerica.org/ retrieved June 25, 2013
  4. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  5. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  6. EL ESPAÑOL EN AMÉRICA cvc.cervantes.e - JESÚS SÁNCHEZ LOBATO - page 553-570
  7. Language of Chile: Chileanismos, Castellano and indigenous roots www.thisischile.cl - February 22, 2011, retrieved August 08,2013
  8. Lipski (1994: 199-201)
  9. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  10. Canfield (1981:31)
  11. Oroz (1966:119)
  12. Lipski (1994:199)
  13. Lipski (1994:201)
  14. Chilean Spanish & Chileanisms http://www.contactchile.cl/ retrieved June 27, 2013
  15. Lipski (1994: 201-2)
  16. 16.0 16.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  17. Lipski (1994: 203)
  18. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  19. 19.0 19.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  20. 20.0 20.1 20.2 20.3 20.4 20.5 20.6 20.7 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  21. 21.00 21.01 21.02 21.03 21.04 21.05 21.06 21.07 21.08 21.09 21.10 21.11 21.12 Teofilo Laime Ajacopa, Diccionario Bilingüe Iskay simipi yuyayk'ancha, La Paz, 2007 (Quechua-Spanish dictionary)
  22. Diccionario Quechua - Español - Quechua, Academía Mayor de la Lengua Quechua, Gobierno Regional Cusco, Cusco 2005 (Quechua-Spanish dictionary)
  23. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  24. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. Pages 82-83.

Bibliography

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External links