I would like to add and it is quite an interesting aspect of Spanish (and not only part of Dominican speech) is diminutives and the usage. Observe the usage of diminutives in the Spanish-speaking world and you should stop and think- how fascinating!. Very unlike English, the usage and understanding the usage is special in Spanish.
Some diminutives are more common than others. As well, the usage is (very) regional. Using common ones as an example –
ito/ -ita you will hear in the Spanish-speaking world as well
-ico/- ica. Then common in Spain
-illo/- illa which is not common in Latin America at all. Costa Ricans get their nickname los
Ticos because of their frequent usage of the diminutive
-ico/ ica.
As the articles state the meaning of
-ito/-ita in the DR is usually to denote smallness or
cariño but it does not always as we evidence in daily speech. Diminutives are common in Dominican speech but I will even extend it and say in Latin America in general to the point where they are even added to adverbs like
ahorita (not in Spain) with various meanings depending on the context and country.
Here are interesting articles from a Dominican newspaper that discuss the usage of diminutives in Dominican popular speech:
http://eldia.com.do/los-diminutivos-en-el-espanol-dominicano-i/
http://eldia.com.do/los-diminutivos-en-el-espanol-dominicano-ii/
http://eldia.com.do/los-diminutivos-en-el-espanol-dominicano-y-iii/
-MP.