Do?a!

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juanita

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What is the real meaning of ?Do?a?? I always thought it was reserved for addressing older ladies, but lately I have been called Do?a way to many times for my liking. I even asked a taxi driver why and he said it was out of respect?to me it feels more like an insult, I?m not ready to be a Do?a just yet! This morning for a change I was called mu?eca which was a pleasure to hear; before I would hate to be called; rubia, mu?eca, linda, Americana, baby, mi amor, amiguita, bruja, preciosa?. But now with the Do?a thing, these names are more than welcome! :classic:
 

carina

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youth is passing, eh?
I often hear Do?acita, here when addressing me..
Maybe I am just a "little" adultish?hehe
My sons friends says Do?a though, especially if I correct something, and they appologize..
 

Keith R

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The taxi driver is correct: it is a title of respect, not age. But in Latin culture, particularly in the DR, age is granted that bit of respect, which is why you hear it most often said to moms, aunts, grandmas, etc.

When I was growing up my cousins and I used to visit my grandfather's horse farm every summer. My grandfather had a friendly but humble Chilean cook, Eduardo. Eduardo always called me Don Keith and my sister Do?a Lisa, and we were just pre-teens. My grandparents didn't order him to -- it's just that he had been raised to show respect to his employer's kids, no matter who employed him. Even when we were diablitos and probably didn't deserve it! LOL
 

carina

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It is respect, but it has to do with age in DR.
You are not a Do?a at certain ages in DR. Not at all.
 

Keith R

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I respectfully disagree. I have been going to the DR since 1986, lived there four years, have traveled most of the country, am married to a dominicana, and have heard it used many times in contexts other than age, Carina. Don't know why you haven't heard it, but I have.
 

carina

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Keith R said:
I respectfully disagree. I have been going to the DR since 1986, lived there four years, have traveled most of the country, am married to a dominicana, and have heard it used many times in contexts other than age, Carina. Don't know why you haven't heard it, but I have.

Well, I have not.

I have never heard Do?a to young girls, kids...
I have heard it only to people who are mothers, who are at a certain age etc etc, and also Do?acita..

It?s fine to have different opinions, that?s what gives life to a messageboard.:classic:

I don?t understand why you always back everything up with that you have lived here, your years etc etc.
Alots of us live here too you know, every day, and longer than you have.
That, however is not the topic, nor the point.
It doesn?t mean we know more because of that in all topics.
 

Keith R

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carina said:
I don?t understand why you always back everything up with that you have lived here, your years etc etc.
Alots of us live here too you know, every day, and longer than you have.
That, however is not the topic, nor the point.
It doesn?t mean we know more because of that in all topics.

I never claimed to know more in all topics. That's one of the reasons why my post count remains as low as it does. I tend to post about what I know. Sorry that bothers you.

In this case, I say it so nobody thinks it's something I heard once in passing, an isolated incident. I have heard it many times, in more contexts than you mention, over the course of many years.
 

carina

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Keith R said:
I never claimed to know more in all topics. That's one of the reasons why my post count remains as low as it does. I tend to post about what I know. Sorry that bothers you.

In this case, I say it so nobody thinks it's something I heard once in passing, an isolated incident. I have heard it many times, in more contexts than you mention, over the course of many years.

No, it doesn?t bother me at all.:classic:
I just noticed it coming from you, when there are different opinions in a topic.
It?s fine to agree to disagree, my point was that it is not important.
Someone being here for 1 day, might have an opinion, as good as any other.
 

Keith R

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And my point is that it is not my opinion, it is what I have experienced.

You earlier said
You are not a Do?a at certain ages in DR. Not at all.

I'm saying you're being too absolute. It does occur in other contexts in the DR, whether you personally have witnessed it or not.
 

AnnaC

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In the DR it's more about the higher social class something maybe not found much in the tourist areas. ;)
I know of a "Lady" that is called do?a constantly, and her kids are called “don” by the maid and others. Yes in the Dominican republic.

And since this is the Spanish forum;

Gender:
Female

Ethnic Origin:
Spanish

Meaning:
Lady. Respectful title and female equivalent of the title Don.

Anyone see the movie Don Juan? Every female married or not had the title of do?a before her name.
 

Keith R

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Thanks, Anna. I also found it to be done in parts of the DR where more traditional ways of addressing people persists, and not necessarily just to people of the top social strata, particularly in the small towns in the country, but I have also heard it in Santiago (perhaps HB and/or Azb can confirm this is or isn't still true there).
 

carina

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andrea9k said:
Do?acita? You mean Do?ita?

I never heard Do?acita before...

No, Do?acita. I reacted the same way when I heard it in the beginning of my life here, more than once and frequently, as to me it would be more correct as you wrote ( Do?ita ).
 

Marianopolita

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Do?ita...

Just an fyi... in Spanish there is a tendency by speakers to form diminutives incorrectly in colloquial everyday speech but they would definitely stand out when analyzed in written form. Regardless what a diminutive is trying to denote it is important to be able to distinguish between a correct form and an incorrect form. This example do?a and its diminutive form being do?ita or do?acita is a classic example (once again) of incorrect everyday speech that permeates in Spanish (all languages in fact but we are talking about Spanish). However, IMHO one should know the difference and it does not mean you have to use the incorrect form.

The correct form is 'do?ita'.

Another example is 'reloj'.

Hay muchas personas que dicen 'relocito' y realmente deber?a ser 'relojito'.

- These are aspects of Spanish that I would point out to someone who I know is genuine about learning how to speak Spanish properly otherwise I would let it go especially if it has become embedded in the colloquial or vernacular speech of a region or country.


LDG.
 
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Marianopolita

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Mainegirl... in brief

The rules for forming diminutives in Spanish are quite simple thus the irony that there are some common incorrect forms that have become part of everyday usage.

Diminutive endings are just suffixes that are added to nouns or adjectives. Suffixes denote a meaning and their forms and usage are regional. Some diminutive forms are more common in certain countries in comparison to others. For example -ito vs. -ico vs. illo. Take your pick. I use 'ito' as a preference.

Formation is simple:

add the suffix to the ending (or stem) of a noun or adjective.

- noun. ?rbol= arbolito
- noun. herman[o]= hemanito
- noun. do?[a]= do?ita
- adjective- peque?[o]= peque?ito

Now 'cito', 'cita' are forms that are used to coincide with Spanish phonetic properties. Certain word endings would be impossible to pronounce or would change the original pronunciation of a word. Therefore there's an orthographic change. [c] is added to facilitate pronunciation or to retain the 'original' pronunciation of the word in its non-diminutive form.

coche= cochecito. Without the [c] it would be 'cocheito' which is not correct and cumbersome to pronounce.

pedazo= pedacito. The [z] becomes [c] for phonetic reasons. Basic spelling rule in Spanish.

-Please note these are basic rules and common diminutive endings. However, there are some irregular forms.


-Espero que te haya ayudado... me tengo que ir.


Saludos,

LDG.

'ey' Lesley please


MaineGirl said:
Leslie, what are other rules concerning the dimunitive?
 
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samanasuenos

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dona + mamacita = donacita

I have to apologize in advance for not knowing how in the world to get a tilde and make an en-yay on this board...

That said, is it at al possible that DONACITA is a combo made from DONA + MAMACITA ?

I don't know about you, but I rather enjoy this explanation.

It would make a DONACITA a "pretty lady" or "fine lady" - rather than just a small one.

Carina - are you short/small by Dr standards? I doubt it. I think you're probably a pretty dona, and that is why you were called thus....

Just two cents, maybe I am just dreamin' -- suenos!
 

carina

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samanasuenos said:
I have to apologize in advance for not knowing how in the world to get a tilde and make an en-yay on this board...

That said, is it at al possible that DONACITA is a combo made from DONA + MAMACITA ?

I don't know about you, but I rather enjoy this explanation.

It would make a DONACITA a "pretty lady" or "fine lady" - rather than just a small one.

Carina - are you short/small by Dr standards? I doubt it. I think you're probably a pretty dona, and that is why you were called thus....

Just two cents, maybe I am just dreamin' -- suenos!


Actually the only ones that call me that when I think of it are very old people around where I live.
Harry Gilbert for instance, who is 97, and one of the oldest profiles in the city always greet me with that.
Same with the older people around in the city that I know.

No one younger or my age, or my sons friends have said it.
 

MommC

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I have been called Dona (forgive the missing tilde) for many years

here in the DR.
My maid ALWAYS calls me Dona even tho' I have asked her not too. She was trained in an upper society household and has told me it is a sign of respect for her employer and a habit that she is accustomed to.
I have also been introduced as Dona (my last name) when being introduced to persons of higher AND lower social standing, again as a sign of respect.

The absence of usage of the title in most everyday speech has a lot to do with the absence of education (both scholarly and of the social graces) in the populace today.

It has been my experience that the older generation uses the title more as do the more educated.

Hence I would suspect that the older generation was educated at least in the social usage of the title when addressing their superiors or their elders.

This culture, as also found in the cultures of other countries, is seeing the same lack of social grace in the younger generations (i.e. when I was young we would NEVER address an adult by their first name without getting our ears boxed - adults, if only a few years older than ourselves would ALWAYS be addressed as Miss, Mr. or Mrs!)
 
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