campo myth needs debunked

[donP]

Fatalism

Very similar to Inshallah

Now, as you say it....
I always knew that this awesome culture has some muslim component.
Thank you.

donP

 

[Chip]

People used to say God bless after you sneezed. I wouldn't be surprised if that's gone by the wayside.

 

[nas]

Share more myths guys .. here's one that's not a myth but a common phrase in La Vega .. "Si Dios quiere" , almost like they can have no influence on what's going to happen.

It would make sense if more of them were devout churchgoers but the majority aren't. I asked my friend in his last year of medical school if he was going to finish next year, and he says "Si Dios quiere". Hm

Dude, have you ever heard of "God willing"?

 

[sayanora]

Dude, have you ever heard of "God willing"?

Yea, just thought of it.. I was translating it as If God Wants, but God willing is something I've heard.

 

[nas]

By the way, "espasmo" or "pasmo" does not translate to spasm.

Whether superticious or not, "espasmo" is the loss of muscle movement in parts of your body. It may be the face, an arm, etc.

As far as I understand, spasm is the involuntary movements of muscles.

 

[davetuna]

yup chip, that was the plague......1400's because if you sneezed, you probably were going to die.

just like today with the rain.....lol

 

[Chirimoya]

Now, as you say it....
I always knew that this awesome culture has some muslim component.
Thank you.

donP

Where do you think "ojal?" comes from?

 

[caribmike]

"Insha'Allah"?

 

[Chip]

By the way, "espasmo" or "pasmo" does not translate to spasm.

Whether superticious or not, "espasmo" is the loss of muscle movement in parts of your body. It may be the face, an arm, etc.

As far as I understand, spasm is the involuntary movements of muscles.

From what I've heard in cibao it does translate as spasm "se le torcio la boca". I have never heard anyone say you can go die from it only that your mouth will twist or loose feeling or you will go crazy.

Here is an interesting article about the topic from Mexico of all places.

::: BIBLIOTECA :::

 

[Ledesmajr]

Palsy

It is not a myth, often times if you shock your body or parts of it with a brusque change of temperature, from very hot to cold, you will suffer a small stroke which will cause you to have partial and temporary or permanet paralysis of part of your face, often time making your mouth kind of crooked, It has a name which at the moment I do not remember, it is some kind of palsy.
usually the cure was to place a whole nutmeg for a prescribed period of time in the side of your mouth. Please be aware, that this happen more often in the tropics because of the climate, but it does happen here in the us too. so never open a fridge or walk into a walk in box if you are hot from the kitchen or just came from 100 degree weather outside.

 

[dv8]

usually the cure was to place a whole nutmeg for a prescribed period of time in the side of your mouth.

nutmeg? like, the one that causes bad hallucinations upon ingesting? i did say it was all crazy and boy, was i right.

 

[Chip]

If someone has a heat stroke in the US they used to tell you to cool the head and chest with cold water if not ice. There couldn't possibly be a bigger shock to the body given that the body core temp is above normal. when the brain gets to 105 I believe the person usually dies.

 

[MerengueDutchie]

It is not a myth apperently...

I've seen one case with my own eyes. A cousin who did temporary loose the control over the left half of his facial musculature. He just went slack-jawed from opening the fridge after walking in the hot sun.

Maybe it has to do with the general lack of resistance to temperature changes I've seen in Dominicans. They get a genuine 'gripe' when the temperature goes into the low twenties Celsius. They start wearing thick thermo jackets.

 

[bronzeallspice]

Could it be he suffered a heat stroke?

 

[CaptnGlenn]

It is not a myth apperently...

I've seen one case with my own eyes. A cousin who did temporary loose the control over the left half of his facial musculature. He just went slack-jawed from opening the fridge after walking in the hot sun.

Maybe it has to do with the general lack of resistance to temperature changes I've seen in Dominicans. They get a genuine 'gripe' when the temperature goes into the low twenties Celsius. They start wearing thick thermo jackets.

The "stroke" was from the shock of the horrible discovery that all the Presidente was gone!!!!

 

[caribmike]

We had a 'salon' and one gal (actually a guy... you know these kind of guys are well known for work in salons ) had the very same happen after opening a fridge. I did not see it happen but I saw his face was kind of de-arranged for a while, lol.

Dunno, it must be a mental thing... no clue...

It is not a myth apperently...

I've seen one case with my own eyes. A cousin who did temporary loose the control over the left half of his facial musculature. He just went slack-jawed from opening the fridge after walking in the hot sun.

Maybe it has to do with the general lack of resistance to temperature changes I've seen in Dominicans. They get a genuine 'gripe' when the temperature goes into the low twenties Celsius. They start wearing thick thermo jackets.

 

[AlterEgo]

I think you're all talking about bells palsy - sometimes temporary, sometimes permanent, and there IS a possibility it's caused by vast temperature changes, but that's not normally what causes it.

 

[donP]

The Magic Fridge

... He just went slack-jawed from opening the fridge after walking in the hot sun.

... had the very same happen after opening a fridge. (...) his face was kind of de-arranged for a while,...

Barefoot, mud floor and no grounding with the odd power surge does wonders, too. :bunny:


donP

 

[donP]

Muslim Influence

Where do you think "ojal?" comes from?

Good example that.

ojal? - Wiktionary

Of course the Spanish brought words (and blood lines) which have Arab (and thus muslim) roots) to the island.
Would be interesting to have a list of such vocabulary....

donP

 

[Chirimoya]

Most words beginning with 'al' are of Arabic origin, along with many others. I'm sure we've covered this in the Spanish 101 forum.

Spanish's Arab Connection: Spanish Words Derived from Arabic