Dominican Slang Questions

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rrwells

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Here's a few words I've heard lately --

Chin -- Tengo un chin de arroz.

At first I thought this meant I've got a lot but then I heard it means I've got a little -- which is it?

Chevre -- Ay, que chevre.

I think this means cool but I'm curious where it came from.

Chulo -- Ay, que chulo.

It's the same as chevre, right?

Maldito means damned, as in maldito trafico or maldito hombre

How bad is this word, can a female use it (on occasion) without getting too many raised eyebrows?

OK -- that's all I can think of right now although there are tons and tons more that I hear everyday. I'd love to hear other people's favorite dominican slang -- I'm trying to spice up my Mexican Spanish.. :)
 
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Hillbilly

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rrwells said:
Here's a few words I've heard lately --

Chin -- Tengo un chin de arroz.

At first I thought this meant I've got a lot but then I heard it means I've got a little -- which is it?

Chevre -- Hay, que chevre.

I think this means cool but I'm curious where it came from.

Chulo -- Hay, que chulo.

It's the same as chevre, right?

Maldito means damned, as in maldito trafico or maldito hombre

How bad is this word, can a female use it (on occasion) without getting too many raised eyebrows?

OK -- that's all I can think of right now although there are tons and tons more that I hear everyday. I'd love to hear other people's favorite dominican slang -- I'm trying to spice up my Mexican Spanish.. :)

Slang evolves and often times the current meaning isn't the one in any dictionary.
chin: This means just a tad, a little bit. Dame un chin de jugo, is like just a little bit please.

chevere: Borrowed from Venezuela and Puerto Rico in the 70s I think, this means nice and cool. A guy who is chevere is a nice guy and cool guy and 'in' guy.. Qu? chevere! = Great!

Chulo: Used to mean perveyer of prostitutes! Nowadays it means how nice! How great!... A chulo was the pimp about 40 years ago..See how language changes?

My wife doesn't like me to use "maldito" since she feels I am damning them or it to eternal hell's fires!. However it is a strong word...not for dainty mouths..

Other words commonly heard:
"Qu? vaina!" The word 'vaina' means the sheath for a knife. Here, it used to mean the female sexual areas, (Probably due to a confusion by the masses with the word "vagina) Nowadays it means "thing" or "problem" or "nuisance"and generally has a perjoritive meaning. And, it can mean almost anything!
Echar vainas--cause problems
Coger vainas--field problems
Aguantar vainas--have to hold still for shitty things that happen

The language here is rich in these things.
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HB
 
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Taino and Haitian influence

I read somewhere that chin is a taino word. Some of the many words from them that have survived. Also Mao is a taino word for 4 rivers or something like that. They still influence the DR today even though none exist and their language has disappeared. Of course the unbelievable friendliness is of Taino origin.

The Dominican oh-oh is a Haitian contribution which comes from Africa. It's the agressive responses in Dominicanisms and the usual way in which DR folk usually try to put each other down that also came from the Haitians.
 

CHERYL.W

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I have just got back from a week in puerto plata and have spent a lot of time with my boyfriend's friend and family and have also heard a lot of new words most of which i have found out what they mean. One that I can't which means that it will be bad is "mamisota" (not sure how it is spelt)

Thanks for your help
 

Hillbilly

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Cheryl: Sorry to tell you this, but that is a serious reflection on the education of your BF's and his family.

that term is used with women of little stature. It connotes "nice piece of a**!" It also refers to the size of a woman and her physical attributes. If I had called my novia a "mamasota" I think I would have been kicked in the testes and thrown out of the house.

Very akin to the term "mamacita" or "little woman" used as a term of endearment on the streets. See: Piropo

HB.
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rrwells

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Re: Taino and Haitian influence

Onions&carrots said:
The Dominican oh-oh is a Haitian contribution which comes from Africa. It's the agressive responses in Dominicanisms and the usual way in which DR folk usually try to put each other down that also came from the Haitians.

I'm confused O and C, what's a Dominican oh-oh?
 

Tony C

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"Oh oh" is one of the most commonly used expressions in the English language. haven't you ever heard a American go "Oh OH" when something is wrong?

Vaina is a Seed pod! A pod of green beans is a vaina. A seed pod from a Royal Poinciana tree is a vaina. It has no sexual conotation in the DR. Vaina is used as a "Hassle" or "Problem"

O&C
The only thing left in the DR of the Arawaks(What you call Tainos) is a few artifacts in Museums. There is no Indian blood in Dominicans. There is no language influence.

Tony C.
 

Hillbilly

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Come on Toney, don't be so dogmatic..

In most dictionaries, "vaina" is first and foremost a sheath, either for a knife or a bayonette. It is also a seed pod.

Thus the joke about the Amapola tree and marriage: What do they have in common? Both begin with flowers and end up with "Vainas" ...

In the uneducated sector of the population it also refers to the female genitalia, possibly in a confusion with the Spanish pronunciation of the word "vagina" : Bah-he-nah

Some linguists have found what they consider words that might be from Taino/Arawak, but I don't know enough about this to comment. See Jimenez, Arturo, et al. El Espa?ol de la Rep?blica Dominicana Of course there are plenty of place names and proper names: Guaroa, and other names and , you forgot, cacique....

Regards,

HB
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Guynoir

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mamasota

Hillbilly said:
Cheryl: Sorry to tell you this, but that is a serious reflection on the education of your BF's and his family.

I am afraid I desagree with you here, Hillbilly. It is true that education is not a big priority in the D.R and that there are a lot of uneducated people here. Nevertheless, I don't think that just because someone uses the word Mamasota, this person has little education. Take for example, Hipolito Mejia, He uses many "slang" words in his speeches. Is he not educated? No, He is just a dominican and proud to be so. Yes, Leonel Fernandez (former president) and other make fun of the way he speaks, but he chooses to speak that way.

I think the word mamasota is used for many reasons. One, you are trying to flatter a woman by implying that she is really beautiful and you really, really like her and want her. Second, you could be specifically referring that she has a great voluptous body, which no woman will probably be offended, specially if it is his boyfriend who called her that. I really don't see a woman getting pissed off over this, unless she is not dominican, or even from the caribbean or just don't know the culture.


My humble opinion, GN
 

Jim Hinsch

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How is it that there is not Taino blood left in the country?

I heard a term the other day and couldn't for the life of me figure out why it is offensive or how it is spelled to look it up in a dictionary. I was told it is a sea animal like a turtle. It sounded like icotea.
 

Drake

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Jim Hinsch
Icotea sp? is actually a small fresh water turtle found in Dominican rivers and streams.

Incidently Hurricane is a Taino word originating from this island (Hispa?iola). A word now used globally.
 

Marilyn

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We might not have any Taino (or Arawak) blood because of their early extinction, but their culture and language still shows in our daily life, for example:

Bohio: thatch-roofed house, very common in rural parts of the country, the word is still used by campesinos, especially in the south.

Casabe: a Yucca bread originally made by the Taino, it's still a delicacy among Dominicans, especially with chicharron de puerco (pork fritter).

Mayimbe: Does anyone know Fernando Villalona? means tribe chief, mostly used in Cuba

Jicotea: land turtle (most Dominicans pronounce it Hicotea with a soft J sound)

Jaragua, Higuey, Bahoruco, etc., all names of provinces and/or towns

Borinquen: Taino name for Puerto Rico, means land of the valiant

Boricua: people that live in the land of the valiant

Haiti: name of the whole Island

Fotuto: home-made trumpet

Guay: expression of pain (Dominicans love using "Guay mi Mai"

colibri: picaflor (forgot the english translation) small bird

Huracan: Hurricane hura - viento (wind) can - centro (center)

Inagua: underskirt used by women

coki: small frog (used in Puerto Rico)

Guayo: used to grate Yucca for the casabe

Caribe: strong people, warriors (used: Caribbean sea, also, Dominicans say "Aji Caribe" meaning very hot pepper)

Hamaca: hammock

Cay: cayo, key (very small island)

chicha: fermented corn beer (used in Mexico

Cayuco: small boat

cibao: rock mountain

cocuyo: luminous insect (firefly)

cucubano: big cocuyo

cojiba: rolled tobacco

Carey: sea turtle (tortoise)

Canoa: small boat (canoe)

Cacique: chief (word used sarcastically for Politicians)

Cabuya: very fine thread from the Maguey (another taino word) palm

Maguey: native palm tree

Dajao: fresh water fish (still used by campesinos)

Guagua: their mode of transportation (Dominicans used to refer to public buses)

Jagua: fruit used widely in DR to make Jagua juice, very refreshing

Maraca: musical instrument

Guaraguao: bird that eats chickens
Iguana: big lizard

Guacara: cave (Guacara Taina - very famous night club in a cave)
Jaiba: fresh water crab (word is still used by all Dominicans)

Mucaro: bird similar to the eagle (well know to Dominican campesinos)

Jibaro: campesino (used in widely Puerto Rico)

Jimagua: twins (used widely in Puerto Rico)
Piragua: long boat (used in Colombia)

Aji: Picante (hot)

Ana: Flor Caona: de oro ANACAONA: Flor de Oro

Macuto: a bag made of palm leaves to carry fruits and viandas

Arepa: corn tortilla or cornmeal cake (used in Venezuela and DR)


Macana: Garrote (very widely used in DR to refer to policemen's sticks)

Barbacoa: Barbeque is a bad translation of the word barbacoa, a platform with for legs used for different purposes

Manati: sacred marine cow

Batey: it was their baseball game, also a sacred place, today used in the sugar cane plantations to house workers and their families

Sabana: big valley

Nigua: small insect

Nagua: tail cover or taparrabo (small white skirt used by Indians to cover their intimate parts)

Mabi: refreshing drink, very popular among Dominicans

Bija: Achiote

And last but not least:

Quisqueya: Aboriginal word for the Eastern part of Haiti (this is how they called the whole Island) meaning the place of the high lands.


;)
 

Pib

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Jim I think the correct spelling is Hicotea , though I've many people say Jicotea too. But I can't swear that on the bible.

On the risk of steering this thread from the OP I must say that although I believe the ammount of Taino blood in our veins is negligible(sp?) there is a few things that we inherited from them. The most used words are:

Taino (Obviously): it originally meant "the good people"
Barbacoa: Barbeque, (BBQ)
Haiti: I believe means mother of all land. Don't take my words.
Quisqueya: Same meaning as Haiti, same disclaimer.
Cibao: Means "land within mountains"
Cacique: Chief
Cacicazgo: Chieftain
Conuco: piece of land for farming
Hurac?n: Hurricane
Cazabe: Cassaba bread
Bohio: hut
Hamaca: hammock

There are many more words I can't recall now, but all these are of common use in DR and/or the world. Many towns still have Taino names, many people name their children after famous Taino people and many other words are still in use.
 

Bugsey34

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thats weird if the word 'guay' is of Taino origin, because it is used here in Madrid to mean 'cool'. It's slang that's sort of hip to say.
 

Marilyn

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Bugsey34 said:
thats weird if the word 'guay' is of Taino origin, because it is used here in Madrid to mean 'cool'. It's slang that's sort of hip to say.

We also use the word "guay" here to mean "yell", i.e.: "el ultimo "guay" de la moda" meaning to say el ultimo grito de la moda or "the latest fashion", it's used as a joke mostly, when someone is fashionably dressed and not out of season.
 
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More Taino blood than you think

It's an obvious fact that the disorganized Spanish soldiers had sex with the Taino women just like the Negro slaves. There are no clear cut answers but the haphazard nature of extinctions points to this truth. While they did disappear as a race their blood lives on thru many Dominicans in different areas of the DR.The exact amount can never be known but it is present and preferred.
Criss Colon used an interesting term-hybrid vigor. The DR is more of a melting pot than the US. A country in which the white,black and indian have mixed thru the centuries.While the US has allowed people from all over the world to come to its shores, it still is centuries behind the DR in its ability to mix interracially. the future of this planet from an optimistic viewpoint will see the entire Earth like the DR-hybrid vigor.

Hey Criss, I might use that name for an underground alternative group. Of course if I hit it big I ain't gonna give anything.

naaa-naaa-na-na-naaaaa
 

Marilyn

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DR Hybrid-vigor?????

O&C:

Would the term DR Hybrid-vigor be translated into "Indio canelo" or "burro azuano"? :)
 
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