Dominicanismos and other Spanish expressions

[nikke]

ok thanks

A ride? LOL. No, she means "I ate so much last night I can't even walk". Jartura or hartura is a word people use when they over eat. Unless, of course, some people use that word or phrase as a double-entendre or doble sentido.

OhhhHH! ok got it.

What about Dominicans using the word bizcocho for cake...I said it in my Spanish class and my Colombian teacher thought I was crazy...

 

[juancarlos]

To me, bizcocho is something else, but Puerto Ricans and Dominicans use that word to mean cake. To me bizcocho is like biscotti, not sure if that is the right spelling. Anyway, it is something you eat with café au lait or by itself. I think pastel is the "standard" work for cake in Spanish, although in some countries they also say torta. In Cuba the word they use for it is cake, but sounds like Kay.

 

[DavidZ]

I get confused with the Dominican usage of Ahorita also, however, I thought it was the opposite... I was taught that:
Ahora = now
Ahora mismo = RIGHT now
Ahorita = a little later/in a little while

But it seems ahorita in DR means RIGHT now... and they use mas tarde for all variations of "later"

 

[macocael]

Ahorita can mean a couple things. A little later/in a little while as in "lo haré ahorita". but it can also mean a little while ago or just now (so a little time has passed but not much), so it carries a past reference as well: Cuando hiciste eso? Ahorita. In either direction timewise, as I understand it, it means "a little while". But in DR I dont think it ever means Right Now. That is ahora mismo, always.

 

[juancarlos]

In the DR, as in Cuba, ahorita has the same meaning: in a litlte while or a little while ago. In Mexico ahorita means right now. Ahora mismo is right now in Cuba. The meaning of ahorita changes from one country to the next.

 

[Marianopolita]

Word variations-

Ahora/ Ahorita/ Ahora mismo

In broad terms the usage and meaning varies in the Spanish-speaking world and in my opinion it's best to learn the regional meanings to avoid misinterpretation. One poster asked 'when did the meaning change'. I think it's best to first establish what the original meaning is. Ahorita derived from ahora. The usage of the diminutive -ita (or -ito) in Spanish has several connotations and it also varies by region. Customarily diminutives are added to nouns and adjectives, however, in Latin America it's added to a few adverbs like 'ahora'. Along with this -ito, -ita can also be lexicalized. To lexicalize means when a diminutive ending such as -ito/-ita is added to a word a completely new word is formed and with the new word or lexicon comes a change in meaning. This is how the regional variations in meaning with 'ahorita' derived.

I also consulted with a DR1 member regarding the usage and meaning in Spain. The explanation I received confirmed my knowledge about the various functions of diminutives in Spanish attained via analysis. The diminutive form 'ahorita' originated in Latin America with country and/ or region specific meanings.

If you consult the DRAE ahorita is defined as: 1/ ahora mismo, muy recientemente or 2/ Después, dentro de un momento, en seguida.

Both are indicated as 'colloquial' which signifies the meaning varies regionally.

Word variations across the Spanish-speaking world are common and can certainly cause confusion for some. There are many examples I can think of readily of words that change meaning slightly or greatly from one country to another or a different word is used altogether to express a single word or concept in another land. 'Cake' was referenced above which is also a good example of a word variation in Spanish. In the Spanish-speaking world 'torta' or 'pastel' are used and 'pastelito' is used as well with a slightly different connotation. If you study and analyze word variations in Spanish you will be amazed but it's also indicative of the vast lexical diversity of the Spanish language.


-LDG.

 

[tjnzski]

I don't know if this is a "Dominicanism" or simply an "Angelism" (my husband's name is Angel) - but he always says to our 3-year-old: "Quien es el buccachico de papi?" (I have no idea how to spell buccachico, or if it's even a word). I love it when he says that; buccachico y papi have such a special bond. I also love how Dominicans call babies "chichi". Hoever, I'm not sure that "chichi" is exclusive to the DR.

My wife is Mexican and "chi chi's" are those beautiful round things that make a woman's sweater look so wonderful.