Dominican Spanish

Dominican Spanish is Spanish as it is spoken in the Dominican Republic and by the Dominican diaspora.

 Roots of the language 
Dominican Spanish is based on Canarian and Andalucian dialects from south Spain but with some influences from West African languages. The indigenous Arawak language left very little influence on the language; the only influence they left were some words, mainly for foods and names.

 African influence 
Examples of African-based syntax:
 Dominican Spanish: "Como tu ta?", Spanish: "¿Cómo estás tú?"
 Dominican Spanish: "Como tu te llama?", Spanish: "¿Cuál es su nombre?" or "¿Cómo se llama usted?"
 Dominican Spanish : "P'onde ta?" or "Onde ta", Spanish: "¿Por dónde está eso?" or "¿Por dónde estás?"

Words such as "mangu" (mashed plantains), "kamboumbo" (basket for clothes), "guineo" or "guinea" (banana), and many more. Note, most of these African words are either Igbo or Kikongo origins. The most dominant African languages that has had the most influence in the formation of the Dominican Spanish is the Igbo, Yoruba, Kongo, Twi, Fon, Ewe, Mandinga, Hausa, Wolof etc. With the syntax being based off the Yoruba language and Mande languages, the phonetics heavily influenced by the Kikongo, and the pronouciations of certain words containing some elements of the Mandingas and the Igbos. Most schollars, just as all of the West Indies have said that the Kikongo language influenced greatly the formation of the Dominican Spanish .

 Vocabulary 
These are some examples of Dominican Spanish. <<Note>> some of these words or expressions/idioms are of African origin.
 Chalina: corbata; Tie
 Terina: vasija para lavarse las manos; handwashing vessel
 Boto: sin filo; blunt
 Mayimbe: el rey; king
 Mata: yerba, árbol, planta de cualquier tipo; grass, tree, plant of any kind
 Pela: golpes, paliza;  hitting, beating
 Mai: madre; mother
 Pai: Padre; Father
 Soga: Cualquier tipo de cuerda; Any type of rope
 Abarrotar: llenar, atestar; fill, cram
 Bandazo: tumbo; lie
 Chuma: Populazo, gentuza; Populazo, riffraff
 Desamarrar: desatar;  loosen
 Embicar: beber a pico de botella; drinking from the bottle
 Garete: (al garete) sin control, sin orden; (to hell) without control, without a warrant
 Singar: realizar el acto sexual; having sexual intercourse
 Zafar: soltar; release or give up
 Bembe: labios; lips
 Cateyano: Castellano, Espanol; Castilian, Spanish
 Kalunga: Dios; God
 Matatan: el macho, el veradero hombre; the man
 Kikonde: Esconde, to hide

 Related languages 
Palenquero is a Spanish-African based Creole with Portuguese influences that is spoken in the Caribbean coast of Colombia.

The Eastern Cuban Spanish dialect is remarkably identical to the Dominican Spanish . Many Cubans consider the east part of Cuba as another Dominican Republic due to similar culture.

References

Category:Spanish language
Category:Spanish dialects
Category:Dominican Republic