1939 Uniformity of the Castilian language
Date: Fri, 31 Oct 2003 11:42:12 -0500
From: Sergio <cachafaz@ADELPHIA.NET>
Subject: Uniformity of the Castilian language
Kate says:
"Each country in Latin America has incorporated
indigenous words into its local version of Spanish.
For example, in Mexico, a "mani" (peanut) is a
"cacahuate" and a "pavo" (turkey) is a "guajolote". In
Paraguay, many words come from the Guarani language
such as "n~anduti" (a type of cloth). In Argentina,
some of the vocabulary has been borrowed from
indigenous languages in that region, such as the word
"gaucho", which probably comes from the Quechua word
"uajcha" (a poor person or orphan)."
Steve said:
"After all, Argentina is a sovereign nation that
seceded from Spain years ago, and the Argentines may not pay that much
attention to the Royal Academy or even its Argentine counterpart, which
undoubtably excludes lunfardo words."
We have to remember that the maximum authority in the Castilian (Spanish)
language is the Royal Spanish Academy of Letters.
The academy works in a collective way with the 21 academies of the Castilian
speaking countries, including that of the Filipines and that of North
America. The dictionaries are published about once every ten years, there
is a historic dictionary where are sent the words are not in use at the
present time, there is an orthographic dictionary, an etymological one, etc.
The work is a result of the approval of all the members of the different
academies. This assures the uniformity of the language.
Going to the words used by Kate as examples. They do not constitute any
barrier at all. They are listed in the dictionary.
Guajalote: Mexico ( Huexolotl) and Puerto Rico : Guajolote : Pavo (turkey).
also tonto, bobo, (Stupid).
N~anduti : Paraguay (spider web) a very fine lace work.
Cacahuete or mani : peanut
The dictionary includes any word that is used in any Castilian speaking
country.
In summary : the same as we learn the words of several other languages, we
can learn a few more of our native one.
Date: Sat, 1 Nov 2003 08:30:17 -0800
From: Catrina Imports <catrinaimports@YAHOO.COM>
Subject: Re: Uniformity of the Castilian language [l-o-n-g]
Hola, Sergio.
You may or may not be surprised to learn that the DRAE
(the Diccionario de la Real Academia Espan~ola) was
boycotted in many American Universities (by both
US-born and Latin American-born professors) until
1992.
Why? Because traditionally the DRAE included very few
"americanismos" (words used in Spanish America but not
in Spain). It also had a politcally slanted and
prudish aproach to much of the vocabulary.
Why until 1992? Because in the edition prepared for
the 500th anniversary of the Columbus voyage, the RAE
finally included a significant number of Spanish
American terms. The 1992 and 2001 editions of the DREA
are greatly improved over past editions.
Even so, the DRAE is far from being the favorite
dictionary of the Ivory Tower in both North and South
America. All dictionaries are less than perfect --
they are always behind the times and they tend to be
prescriptivist. More than telling us what the language
is, it is a record of what the language has been.
It's a great exageration, IMHO, to say that the RAE's
"dictionary includes any word that is used in any
Castilian [sic] speaking country." In some cases,
regional definitions are not listed under word
entries; in other cases, regionalisms are missing
altogether. And of course, there are the inevitable
errors. For ejemple, in Mexico the standard spelling
of the word for peanut is "cacahuAte", though the DRAE
prefers the spelling "cacahuEte".
While the standard Spanish of each country is mutually
intelligible, the slang often is not. Most speakers of
Spanish learn other regionalisms from literature,
movies, soap operas and music. However, as Mexican
author Marco Aurelio Almazan points out in his article
"Tango... con acompan~amiento de Mariachis" (see
below), too much slang can leave the listener
wondering what language the speaker's using.
saludos,
Kate
"Tango con acompaqamiento de Mariachis"
by Marco Aurelio Almazan
from the book _Pitos y flautas_
Hace algzn tiempo recibimos la grata visita de una
delegacisn comercial y financiera argentina, integrada
por treinta y ocho hombres de empresa que vinieron a
tratar diversos aspectos relacionados con la
integracisn del Mercado Comzn Latinoamericano.
Por principio de cuentas, y de acuerdo con sus colegas
mexicanos, se convino en crear una Bolsa
Mixico-Argentina de Importacisn. Y acto seguido se
penss en la necesidad de editar a toda prisa un
diccionario
mexicano-argentino para poder entenderse entre sm, a
fin de no verse en el penoso caso de tener que
recurrir al finlandis o al hzngaro a efecto de
continuar las conversaciones.
En aquella ocasisn, sin embargo, sirvis de intirprete
un ciudadano nacido en Peralvillo, pero que aqos atras
se habma marchado de bracero a la Argentina, donde
vivis y trabajs en el popular barrio bonaerense de La
Boca.
Consecuentemente dominaba nuestrs "cals" capitalino y
el "lunfardo" porteqo, y lo mismo zapateaba un jarabe
tapatmo, que se marcaba un tango de corte compadrsn.
No obstante, el intenso esfuerzo intelectual que tuvo
que desplegar en la primera sesisn de los hombres de
negocios lo dejs extenuado, al grado que tuvieron que
mandarlo despuis a pasar una temporada de reposo y
recuperacisn a Cozumel y luego a Bariloche.
-La znica manera de salir de esta mistonga que nos
descangaya a los latinoamericanos, che -observs uno de
los delegados argentinos en la reunisn inicial-, es
amurando a los bacanes que nos han afanao durante
tanto tiempo. No importa que no tengamos plata o
menega. Bien podemos chamuyar entre nosotros y
cambalachear pilchas por tamangos. ?Qui mas nos
da morfar fainas al principio, hasta que nos hagamos
cancheros y nos empiece a piantar la guita? Todo es
cuestisn de afanar el canyengue, che.
-?Qui dice?--preguntaron los mexicanos un poco
nerviosos.
El intirprete se rascs la cabeza y le echs un chorrito
de tequila a su mate.
-Pos que l'znica manera de salir de brujas es tirando
a lucas a los changos que nos han estado haciendo de
chivo los tamales y mangoniando desdi'hace rato. Que
no li'aunque que no tingamos lana, y que podemos
cotorrear entre nosotros y cambalachiarnos tacuchis
por cacles. Que qui mas nos da tlacualiar puras gordas
al prencipio, hasta que nos psngamos abusados y nos
empiecen a camr los tecolines. Que todo es agarrar la
onda, mis cuates.
Los delegados mexicanos sonrieron.
-Juega el gallo -dijo uno de ellos-. Nosotros estamos
dispuestos a atorarle. Ora es cuando, chiles verdes,
le van a dar sabor al caldo.
-?Qui dice, che? -preguntaron los argentinos.
--Que les hace berretmn el rebusque -tradujo el
intirprete.
-Macanudo, che. Pero no nos hagamos otarios. Vos tenis
kerosin, que a nosotros nos hace falta en el cotarro.
Y en cambio nos sobran pingos, bien cebaos con los
yuyos de la pampa. ?Qui sacudms si los bolicheamos por
comienzo?
Los mexicanos miraron al intirprete con angustia.
-Pos que'sta suave la movida, manitos -explics iste-.
Pero que no nos hagamos tarugos. Que nosotros tenemos
petrsleo, que a ellos les esta haciendo falta en su
cantsn, y en cambio tienen hartos cuacos, muy bien
dados con el zacatito que se recetan en los llanos.
Que qui dicen ustedes si por am le'ntran primero, como
quien dice pa' prencipiar antes que nada.
Mexicanos y argentinos se abrazaron con lagrimas en
los ojos. No tanto por las operaciones mercantiles en
perspectiva, sino por la dicha de poder entenderse.
Ya en este plano de mutua comprensisn elaboraron un
fructmfero programa para trocar briyos por huipiles,
catreras por petates, lengues por paliacates, polleras
por rebozos y vino pelesn por tlachicotsn con moscas.
Mientras Don Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra se retorcma
en su sepultura, todos acabaron cantando tangos con
acompaqamiento de mariachis.
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Date: Sun, 2 Nov 2003 11:01:05 -0800
From: Catrina Imports <catrinaimports@YAHOO.COM>
Subject: Ooops! Re: Uniformity of the Castilian language [l-o-n-g]
For some reason, the accent marks in the Marco Aurelio
Almazan article came out all wrong. I'm sorry, though
I think it's still easy enough to read. (Hope so!)
Kate
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