Elevator

[doval]

Hi,

One small question about the word(s) used in the Dominican Republic to refer to an elevador/ascensor. This question arises out of the fact that my Dominican friends here in New York with whom the subject of an elevator comes up say "elevado". So I asked another close friend (a dajabonera) if this word is commonly used in the Dominican Republic with this meaning, and she insists that it's never used. When confronted with the use of "elevado" by my other friends, she responded that they're from San Francisco de Macoris and there aren't really elevadores/ascensores there. Since I couldn't recall if anyone else aside from the friscomacorisanos had used "elevado" in my presence, I had no good response. For that reason I'm reaching out to the members of this forum.

By the way, one possible explanation for this word I came up with is that it's perhaps an adaptation of the sound of the English word "elevator", which accents the "a" and not the "o", and which, to the untrained Spanish-speaking ear, has no "r" sound at the end. (None of these individuals mentioned speaks any more than a word or two of English. And that's being generous.) So I imagine it may be a word they picked up here.

Can anyone help clarify this for me? Is "elevado" used in the DR to mean "elevator"?

 

[Norma Rosa]

Hi,

One small question about the word(s) used in the Dominican Republic to refer to an elevador/ascensor. This question arises out of the fact that my Dominican friends here in New York with whom the subject of an elevator comes up say "elevado". So I asked another close friend (a dajabonera) if this word is commonly used in the Dominican Republic with this meaning, and she insists that it's never used. When confronted with the use of "elevado" by my other friends, she responded that they're from San Francisco de Macoris and there aren't really elevadores/ascensores there. Since I couldn't recall if anyone else aside from the friscomacorisanos had used "elevado" in my presence, I had no good response. For that reason I'm reaching out to the members of this forum.

By the way, one possible explanation for this word I came up with is that it's perhaps an adaptation of the sound of the English word "elevator", which accents the "a" and not the "o", and which, to the untrained Spanish-speaking ear, has no "r" sound at the end. (None of these individuals mentioned speaks any more than a word or two of English. And that's being generous.) So I imagine it may be a word they picked up here.

Can anyone help clarify this for me? Is "elevado" used in the DR to mean "elevator"?

The dajabonera is not telling you the truth.
There are not many elevators throughout the DR, but we know that the name is elevador/ascensor. The language itself demands its ending (or). What does it do?


Your theory might be right.

 

[doval]

The dajabonera is not telling you the truth.
There are not many elevators throughout the DR, but we know that the name is elevador/ascensor. The language itself demands its ending (or). What does it do?


Your theory might be right.

Thank you, Norma Rosa, for your response. From my limited contact with dr1.com I can see you are a true stalwart of these forums. By the way, the dajabonera was only hypothesizing, I think. But thank you very much for the clarification.

 

[Hipocrito Mejia]

Elevator is most commonly referred to as ascensor. Elevador is also used.

Elevado is used to refer to the elevated roads (overpasses) that are used as express routes in SD and Santiago.

 

[doval]

Elevator is most commonly referred to as ascensor. Elevador is also used.

Elevado is used to refer to the elevated roads (overpasses) that are used as express routes in SD and Santiago.

Thanks for the reply.

For clarification, my dajabonera friend didn't claim that the noun "elevado" doesn't exist in the DR, but that its use in the DR is restricted to the elevated roadways to which you refer. Also, since as recently as this weekend my friscomacorisana companion insisted on taking the "elevado" in my building, I'm sticking with my theory that it's a usage invented here in New York. The next step is to pay attention to see if other dominicans (or any one else) here in the city uses the word in this sense. I'll just have to "hanguear/janguear" near a few elevators in Washington Heights, I guess!

 

[Norma Rosa]

friscomacorisana
I'll just have to "hanguear/janguear" near a few elevators in Washington Heights, I guess!

francomacorisana

janguear!! Please post the word of the week.

 

[doval]

Re: word of the week

francomacorisana

janguear!! Please post the word of the week.

You mean janguear?

Good thing I didn't talk about my petromacoricana friend who accused me of gadejo (ganas de joder) two days ago!!

 

[doval]

francomacorisana

By the way, thanks for the correction. It's hard to keep track of the various labels used to describe residents of the various Dominican cities. Where I was born, you're either from town or from country. Well, I may be exaggerating a bit.:classic:

 

[doval]

Updating my previous posts, I have confirmed, sin tener que janguear frente a un ascensor/elevador/elevado, that "elevado" is much in use in Washington Heights, Manhattan, at least, with respect to elevators as opposed to elevated roadways. The word is clearly not universal, as a client of mine, a lifelong dominicanyork resident of the area, denies knowledge of this usage of the word. My investigation continues.

 

[cuas]

It is "elevator" pronounced by a Spanish speaker.
Not every English speaker pronounces the "r"

 

[doval]

It is "elevator" pronounced by a Spanish speaker.
Not every English speaker pronounces the "r"

Thanks for the contribution, cuas. This is the explanation I favor. In fact, I would say that if you heard the "r" when someone says "elevator", chances are, here in New York, that person would be considered to have an accent (for example, a southern accent). The adaptation of English words (and even grammar: consider "llamar para atr?s") to Spanish speech that goes on in the streets of the United States is extensive.

Thanks again for the aporte.

 

[bienamor]

And what pray tell

Thanks for the contribution, cuas. This is the explanation I favor. In fact, I would say that if you heard the "r" when someone says "elevator", chances are, here in New York, that person would be considered to have an accent (for example, a southern accent). The adaptation of English words (and even grammar: consider "llamar para atr?s") to Spanish speech that goes on in the streets of the United States is extensive.

Thanks again for the aporte.[/QUOTE

Well as all native US English speakers that I know would pronounce the r how do they say it in NY. As we all know that they have an accent. an its not only southern have heard the r from coast to coast, and border to border

 

[doval]

Thanks for the contribution, cuas. This is the explanation I favor. In fact, I would say that if you heard the "r" when someone says "elevator", chances are, here in New York, that person would be considered to have an accent (for example, a southern accent). The adaptation of English words (and even grammar: consider "llamar para atr?s") to Spanish speech that goes on in the streets of the United States is extensive.

Thanks again for the aporte.[/QUOTE

Well as all native US English speakers that I know would pronounce the r how do they say it in NY. As we all know that they have an accent. an its not only southern have heard the r from coast to coast, and border to border

Whassamadda? You don't know how Noo Yawkahs Talk? Fuhgeddaboudit! In the words of the great Grand Master Flash, "Noo Yawk Noo Yawk Big city o' dreams. Everyting in Noo Yawk ain' always what it seems! That includes elevadahs.

 

[bienamor]

Where is Noo Yawk

Whassamadda? You don't know how Noo Yawkahs Talk? Fuhgeddaboudit! In the words of the great Grand Master Flash, "Noo Yawk Noo Yawk Big city o' dreams. Everyting in Noo Yawk ain' always what it seems! That includes elevadahs.

Try not to think about New York, either the city or the state. Was there once, did not loose any thing so no reason to go back. Like I said most pronounce the "R"

 

[PICHARDO]

Thanks for the reply.

For clarification, my dajabonera friend didn't claim that the noun "elevado" doesn't exist in the DR, but that its use in the DR is restricted to the elevated roadways to which you refer. Also, since as recently as this weekend my friscomacorisana companion insisted on taking the "elevado" in my building, I'm sticking with my theory that it's a usage invented here in New York. The next step is to pay attention to see if other dominicans (or any one else) here in the city uses the word in this sense. I'll just have to "hanguear/janguear" near a few elevators in Washington Heights, I guess!

Just as "Mapear" was adapted by Dominicanyorks in the US from "Mopping". So too was Elevado adapted by your friends that until then never took one in their town of origin, as they never used the proper "Elevador" that all Dominicans that use or know about it do.