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tb01.doc // B5 // 2004-10-01

Journey With Language - Variations in Spanish (1)SpainThis course features regional variations of Spanish language in a series of12 lectures starting in February 2006. Although Spanish is a widely spoken language(spoken by 350 million people in 20 countries), its regional variations are relatively
small compared to other languages. Yet there are differences in pronunciation as
well as forms and meanings of words. In this course, we will only discuss thecharacteristics that are especially noteworthy in each region.
This series of lectures consists of three parts: 1) Destination, 2) Pursuit ofLanguage, and 3) Language Variations. The regional characteristics will beintroduced briefly in Part 1, explanation of the Spanish variation study will be given
in Part 2, and various interpretation of a specific word will be shown with a map inPart 3. We will be introducing some of the research results of our study groupthroughout the course.

【Picture 1: City Map of Madrid】

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3/23/06
4:30 PM(1122words)●Destination --Spain
Spanish-speaking countries are generally categorized into the following
groups based on their linguistic characteristics:
1. Spain and Equatorial Guinea
2. Caribbean countries
3. Mexico, Central America
4. Columbia, Venezuela
5. Andean countries
6. Rio de la Plata countries
We will look at the Spanish language in each region in the above order,
beginning with Spain.
Spain is a member of the EU (Unión Europea), and we have seen theresults of its considerable economic growth in 1992 at the Barcelona Olympics(Juegos Olímpicos en Barcelona) and the Universal Exposition in Sevilla(Exposición Universal en Sevilla). The development of Madrid, the capital, isremarkable; transportation systems such as roads and subways are being improved,
and the city maps are renewed every year. The subway (metro) was already running
up to Madrid Barajas Airport (Aeropuerto de Barajas) last year (1999).

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3/23/06
4:30 PM(1122words)【Picture 2: Subway at Barajas Airport】
When you arrive in the airport, and first hear Spanish spoken by people
from different countries, pronunciation is perhaps the easiest aspect to distinguish
one from another. There are some differences in words and grammar, but in mostcases they remain unnoticed until later while the difference in pronunciation isrecognized instantly. The characteristics of Spanish spoken in Spain (North-Central)are: the [θ] sound with which the tip on the tongue shows between upper and lower
teeth, the hard fricative [x] sound of the “j”, “gi” and “ge” consonants, and the “sh”
sound heard when “s” is pronounced.
The notable grammatical characteristics are: the pronoun of vosotros,conjugation of verbs (cantáis, coméis, vivís), and le used instead of lo for thepersonal pronoun as a direct object. (e.g. Le conozco. “I know him.”).
On the other hand, there are countless numbers of differences in words thatare used. A computer (computador) is “ordenador” and a ticket (boleto) is “billete”
to name a few. The following chart shows some examples of everyday words thatare different in Spain and Latin America.
Meaning

Spain

Latin America

sweater

jerseysuéterjacketcazadora

casaca, chamarra, chompa, chumpa

overallsmonojardinero, jardinera, mameluco, overol

sports wear

chándalbuzo, mono, sudadera, traje deportivo

swim suitbañador

malla, ropa de baño (also used in Spain),traje de baño, trusa, vestido de baño

refrigerator

frigorífico

frigidaire, frío, refrigerador, nevera (alsoused in Spain)

remotemando (a distancia) control (remoto)headphones

cascosaudífonos

speakers

altavoces

bocinas, parlantes

deck chairhamaca, tumbona

cheslon, perezosa, playera, reposera,
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silla de extensión, silla de sol, sillaplegable, silla reclinable
slingshot

tirachinas

cauchera, gomera, honda, hondilla,hondita, hulera, resortera, tirapiedras,
catalong distance callconferencia

larga distancia●Pursuit of Language - Preparation
We started with Spain for a historical reason. It is easier to start with thetraditional Spanish derived from Latin in the Middle Ages, then to compare it with
the Spanish which was spread across Latin America in recent times. It is of course
important to learn Latin American Spanish these days, but here we will look at thelanguage as “universal Spanish” rather than discussing which Spanish is more
important or which is better to learn.
“Traditional Spanish of Spain” is always changing as well. As we seechanges in society and culture, the language is also bound to change. Here are someof the new words found in present day: contestador (answering machine), culebrón(TV drama that are produced in Mexico and Venezuela and aired in Spain), estrés(stress), móvil (mobile phone), teletienda (telephone shopping). These are the words
that have not yet made entry into dictionaries, and we need to obtain the latest
information from the local media (newspaper, news coverage), prints, study reportsetc. I personally carry a notebook and write down new things as I notice them.
Useful as those references may be, it is always best to directly observe andinvestigate the language in each region. Spanish-speaking countries used to seemvery far from Japan, and it was not easy to travel there. Now the airfare is muchcheaper, and local information is easy to get. Our study group conducts one or two
research tours every year.
The itinerary is prepared thoroughly in advance, and there are only a few
minor changes made during the stay. Contacting local collaborators is essential, andemails have made the correspondence extremely easy and efficient. We always carryour notebooks and cameras, and add a tape recorder, a video or a laptop whennecessary.
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3/23/06
4:30 PM(1122words)●Language Variations --”Glasses”
Our study group has been keeping a record of Spanish variations indifferent regions. We will look at the variation of the word “glasses” as an example.
Gafas is commonly used (shown as G in the map) in Spain and some other regions.
Anteojos (A) and lentes (L) are widely used in Latin America, and espejuelos (E) isused in the Caribbean countries.
Other variations in Spanish can be found in our Web site.
http://gamp.c.u-tokyo.ac.jp/~ueda/varilex.htm【Map: “Glasses”】

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3/23/06
4:30 PM(1122words)*Assignment -1a
Explain the phonetic characteristics of Spanish spoken in Spain with phonetic terms
and graphics showing points of articulation. The characteristics, as discussed in thelecture, are: “the [θ] sound with which the tip on the tongue shows between upperand lower teeth, the hard fricative [x] sound of the ‘j’, ‘gi’ and ‘ge’ consonants, andthe ‘sh’ sound you hear when ‘s’ is pronounced”.
*Assignment -1b“Leísmo” is a phenomenon found when ‘le’ is used instead of ‘lo’ for the personalpronoun as a direct object”. Refer to a grammar book for further research on thesubject.
*Assignment -1c
Show the outline of dialects in Spanish-speaking countries using the reference
below.
*Reference:
Lipski, John M. 1994. Latin American Spanish. London, Longman, pp.3-33; El
Español de América, Madrid, Cátedra (trad. Silvia Iglesias Recuero), 1996.
pp.15-47.

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