Dominican-Venezuelan language connection

[Chip00]

I have been watching as of late new programs from Venezuela on channel 58 Star cable and have noticed that I think the people speak surprisingly very similar to Domincans in their sentence structure and accent. Sometimes it takes me a while to realize the people are Venezuelan.

I find this odd as I have a good Venezuelan friend who lives in Florida and he talks nothing like this. He actually talks very similar to the Spanish one sees(or used to see anyway) on the novelas than come from Venezuela. I don't remember where my friend is from.

Also, most of the news reports are involving Venezuelans of lower socioeconomic means and they mostly appear very similar to Domincans because they are mulattos. My Venezuelan friend of mine has Spanish heritage and I wonder maybe if this has anything to do with the difference.

I aslo find it interesting that to me the Puerto Rican accent sounds so different to me - enough so that only after hearing a few words I can usually detect it. To a lesser extent I can recognize Cuban Spanish but not always as sometimes there excessive cutting of words and accent reminds me of the way some Domincans I have met talk - especially the older campesino types.

So for all of you in the know, what would be the reasons the Venezuelan Spanish is more similar to the Dominican Spanish than others?

 

[MaineGirl]

My guess is that it has a Caribbean flavor due to having the MOST Caribbean coastline of any Caribbean country.

Just a guess. I did live there and I think the accents are different.

 

[2LeftFeet]

Hey Chip I was recently at a party and there was Venezuelan guy there. I don't see it.

I find DR, PR and Cuban Spanish all similar in the sense that it can sound very choppy and fast. It depends on who is speaking.

I can distinguish DR Spanish from PR Spanish. They do sound different.

South American Spanish is very different. It's usually slower and the words are enunciated more. They usually pronounce the S. It's clearer and more crisp and easier for someone learning. --- This also depends on who is speaking.

 

[Squat]

Many years ago, I learned Spanish in Venezuela... But I am so use to the Dominican way of speaking now... However, Venezuela is a large country, so there might be a big bunch of "regionalismo" as well...

 

[something_of_the_night]

It's a Bloody Mary morning,
And I feel like picking on El Chip-Oh once again

He sees Taino features
On the faces of every Domi-nicans he encounters

Well, if that wasn't enough
Mr. El Chip-Oh hears Cibao
On the voices of Bol?var and El Puma

 

[Mirador]

Many years ago, I learned Spanish in Venezuela... But I am so use to the Dominican way of speaking now... However, Venezuela is a large country, so there might be a big bunch of "regionalismo" as well...

My father recounts that when he was forced into exile, and fled to Venezuela, he was surprised to hear that Venezuelan used so many expressions that he thought were localism from his native Azua and San Juan de la Maguana. I have distant cousins living in a small village south of San Juan de la Maguana, called Card?n, nestled between rolling hills covered with cayuco, a saguaro-like cactus. None of the residents have an inkling on what the name of their town means. It so happens that cayuco is called card?n in Venezuela.

 

[Chirimoya]

On my first visit to Venezuela I vaguely remember meeting someone from the eastern region (?) who spoke with the 'L'.
I can tell a Venezuelan is speaking mainly from the distinctive intonation, rather than the actual accent.

 

[aegap]

I've met many people from Nicaragua and some from Honduras whose accent also has an uncanny similarity with your generic Dominican accent.

 

[Chip00]

Hey Chip I was recently at a party and there was Venezuelan guy there. I don't see it.

I find DR, PR and Cuban Spanish all similar in the sense that it can sound very choppy and fast. It depends on who is speaking.

I can distinguish DR Spanish from PR Spanish. They do sound different.

South American Spanish is very different. It's usually slower and the words are enunciated more. They usually pronounce the S. It's clearer and more crisp and easier for someone learning. --- This also depends on who is speaking.

If you notice in my original post I have a Venezuelan friend who speaks very differently than Dominicans - that was one of the reason I found it odd to see the Venezuelans on TV who speak very similar to Dominicans and therefore wanted to know the possible reasons for the similarities.

 

[Chip00]

It's a Bloody Mary morning,
And I feel like picking on El Chip-Oh once again

He sees Taino features
On the faces of every Domi-nicans he encounters

Well, if that wasn't enough
Mr. El Chip-Oh hears Cibao
On the voices of Bol?var and El Puma

I never said they had a Cibaeno accent - geeeeeezz!

 

[Norma Rosa]

spacing

From Spanish Pronunciation in the Americas, by D. Lincoln Canfield:

The phonological pattern of Venezuela, except for the Andean states of M?rida, T?chira, and Trujillo, is for the most part that of the Caribbean, and therefore, late Andalusian. In all but the Andean section, the /s/ syllable final is often aspirated or dropped. In the three Andean states above mentioned, the articulation is more like that of highland Colombia across the border. Syllable final /s/, /l/, and /r/ are distinguished and clearly pronounced.

 

[Mirador]

From Spanish Pronunciation in the Americas, by D. Lincoln Canfield:

The phonological pattern of Venezuela, except for the Andean states of M?rida, T?chira, and Trujillo, is for the most part that of the Caribbean, and therefore, late Andalusian. In all but the Andean section, the /s/ syllable final is often aspirated or dropped. In the three Andean states above mentioned, the articulation is more like that of highland Colombia across the border. Syllable final /s/, /l/, and /r/ are distinguished and clearly pronounced.

The people from the Andean states mentioned above are called disparagingly gochos by people from other parts of Venezuela, particularly the capital city of Caracas. I remember it took many sessions with a speech therapist to 'correct' then presidential hopeful Carlos Andres Perez' gocho accent, which was so thick that his own nationality became suspect among the general population of Central and Eastern Venezuela. His birth certificate mentioned his town of birth as Rubio, Estado Tachira, however many oldtimers insisted that he was actually born in Colombia. Before becoming the presidential candidate for the AD party, Carlos Andres Perez carried a very grim figure indeed. He used to be the Minister of Interior and Police, and dealing with the marxist insurgency of the time, it was said that his motto was, "kill them first, find out later" (something akin to Santo Domingo de Guzman's "Kill them all, God will sort them out"). An international marketing firm was hired to work on his image. They fixed him into an acceptably marketable political figure. He became inmensely popular during his first term, a real populist. However, during his second term, he sold his soul to the devil, bringing about the collapse of the political system that sustained him and those before him, for over 40 years, and ushering in the political conditions that favored Chavez takeover. Why do I know all this skinny?, because I worked for him.

 

[Chip00]

The people from the Andean states mentioned above are called disparagingly gochos by people from other parts of Venezuela, particularly the capital city of Caracas. I remember it took many sessions with a speech therapist to 'correct' then presidential hopeful Carlos Andres Perez' gocho accent, which was so thick that his own nationality became suspect among the general population of Central and Eastern Venezuela. His birth certificate mentioned his town of birth as Rubio, Estado Tachira, however many oldtimers insisted that he was actually born in Colombia. Before becoming the presidential candidate for the AD party, Carlos Andres Perez carried a very grim figure indeed. He used to be the Minister of Interior and Police, and dealing with the marxist insurgency of the time, it was said that his motto was, "kill them first, find out later" (something akin to Santo Domingo de Guzman's "Kill them all, God will sort them out"). An international marketing firm was hired to work on his image. They fixed him into an acceptably marketable political figure. He became inmensely popular during his first term, a real populist. However, during his second term, he sold his soul to the devil, bringing about the collapse of the political system that sustained him and those before him, for over 40 years, and ushering in the political conditions that favored Chavez takeover. Why do I know all this skinny?, because I worked for him.

Ok - are you saying the gocho accent is the one I've been hearing on the Venezuelan news channel?

 

[Mirador]

I have said no such thing! I'm just adding to the post by Maria Rosa, where she quotes from Spanish Pronunciation in the Americas, by D. Lincoln Canfield, that in three Venezuelan states, people tend to speak with a very thick accent characteristic of Colombian highlanders.

 

[Chip00]

I have said no such thing! I'm just adding to the post by Maria Rosa, where she quotes from Spanish Pronunciation in the Americas, by D. Lincoln Canfield, that in three Venezuelan states, people tend to speak with a very thick accent characteristic of Colombian highlanders.

No te ofendes paisano!

I am just trying to find out more! What, IYO would be the geographical locations in Venezuela that the Spanish that is spoken would be similar to Dominican Spanish?

Also, I'm pretty certain that my friend is from Caracas and his acccent is very different fom Dominicans.

Thanks

 

[Mirador]

No te ofendes paisano!

I am just trying to find out more! What, IYO would be the geographical locations in Venezuela that the Spanish that is spoken would be similar to Dominican Spanish?

Also, I'm pretty certain that my friend is from Caracas and his acccent is very different fom Dominicans.

Thanks

Most probably he's from one of the Eastern states (Anzoategui, Monagas, Sucre, Bolivar).

 

[juancarlos]

From Spanish Pronunciation in the Americas, by D. Lincoln Canfield:

The phonological pattern of Venezuela, except for the Andean states of M?rida, T?chira, and Trujillo, is for the most part that of the Caribbean, and therefore, late Andalusian. In all but the Andean section, the /s/ syllable final is often aspirated or dropped. In the three Andean states above mentioned, the articulation is more like that of highland Colombia across the border. Syllable final /s/, /l/, and /r/ are distinguished and clearly pronounced.

I agree, that is true. Their speech falls within the Caribbean pattern, with the exception of the states you mention.

 

[2LeftFeet]

Chip,
I was in Barnes and Noble today and found a book that you might find interesting. Not the most exciting but I guess you can't have everything.....

The History of the Spanish Language.

There was a couple of pages that talked about the Dominican Republic.. I bought it on Half.com for much cheaper.

 

[Chip00]

Chip,
I was in Barnes and Noble today and found a book that you might find interesting. Not the most exciting but I guess you can't have everything.....

The History of the Spanish Language.

There was a couple of pages that talked about the Dominican Republic.. I bought it on Half.com for much cheaper.

Does Barnes and Nobles have a store in the DR, hahha!

Why do I need a book when I can have so much fun with you guys????

Beside, as an engineer by trade I get tired of reading stuff all day long and would rather just have someone tell me the deal!

 

[2LeftFeet]

After I picked it up I immediately thought of you!!! It covers the African Slave trade. The dropped S. The L/R connection. It talked about Venezuela, Andalucia, --Mofongo!!-- Cibao accent.

You'd have ALL your answers