native Spanish speaker calls DR "The Dominican"

[pati]

Remember that you translating into english but the country name is Republica Dominicana and the "gentilicio" (I am sorry, I don't know how to translate this in English) is "Dominicanos". Just like Cuba-cubanos, Filipinas - filipinos, etc
:classic:

I know the name in spanish is Republica Dominicana.I'm not sure I grasp your point since I was referring to the use in english.

Getting back to the use of "the States" being incorrect. It is not incorrect because it is not the same. Since the natives of the United States are not called "States" as a people.The problem is with calling the country by the same name of it's people.

 

[Criss Colon]

Anyone who says;"The Dominican","SUCKS!

I seriously doubt the "Electrolux"Corp.,ever had an advertising slogan;"Nothing Sucks Like Electrolux"!Can you say, "Urban Legend"?
And The Wisconsin Tourist Board never used;"Come to Wiscosin,and smell our Dairy Air"! either! They are funny,but not true!
Mrs.Arnold Palmer never said that she kissed Arnolds "Balls" before each tournament for "Good Luck".And Johnny Carson never said;"I bet that makes his "Putter" stand up!" either!CC

 

[Jane J.]

Domingueros is another word refering to Sunday. Like "Esta es mi camisa dominguera" (This is the shirt that I use on Sundays).

Yeah, that was my joke. It's OK -- I made myself laugh. :squareeye

I don't know, y'all, this isn't the first time I've taken up this argument for an expression I don't even use (I say "the DR"). What I find most objectionable is the continual beration of people who utter the phrase "The Dominican" and the expat community's know-it-all insistence that their way is the only way.

Already in arguing these points, someone has said that using "Dominicana" in Spanish is "ridiculous." Someone else has said that Germans don't say "DomRep." Apart from both these claims being WRONG, the sneering superiority is what really irks.

And anything CAN be a name - my friend had a dog named Running.

 

[Chris]

I seriously doubt the "Electrolux"Corp.,ever had an advertising slogan;"Nothing Sucks Like Electrolux"!Can you say, "Urban Legend"?

Heard it with my own ears - many moons ago - on South African radio... called SABC, South African Broadcasting Corporation - I think this was even before we had television - my kids were just starting to say the S word. I still laugh about it, today.

To get back to the thread - I say Dominican Republic. "The Dominican" sounds funny to me. Maybe to other native Spanish speakers, it does not sound funny. Perhaps I sound funny to them.

 

[XanaduRanch]

Really?

... the sneering superiority is what really irks.

You'll just have to remain irked then.

Hundreds of companies pay obscene amounts of money every month to have the privelege of hearing, using, and selling the words that I speak. Many more have paid to have me author articles for them. I've written guest pieces years ago for Newsweek, and the New York Times.

When you show me any of these posters who travel to "The Dominican" who have similar credentials, and who have a rational response to the arguments presented here other than whining "It's OK because other people do it!" then, and only then will I stop pointing out that it's an ignorant phrase - and you can get some relief from being irked.

Tom aka XR Anything free is worth what you pay for it.

 

[Jane J.]

Hundreds of companies pay obscene amounts of money every month to have the privelege of hearing, using, and selling the words that I speak.

Oopsie.

 

[mkohn]

Maybe, the native speaker who used the term "the Dominican" for Dominican Republic was just trying to speak to the audience. Like the thread we had about using local accents because sometimes it's contagious.
At home they probably use Santo Domingo, or even Quisqueya, no?
mk

 

[Chirimoya]

Had anyone noticed? This is the DR debates forum.

Chiri

 

[Dominican Tony]

Most Dominicans living in the exterior speak mostly Spanish including the second generation where most of these were raised with a strong bond to the D.R. The third and forth generations are starting to adapt to speaking more English then Spanish, same trend as the Puerto Ricans or should i say "Ricans" and Cubans who now have well adapted to this country and hold a higher economic power due to their adaptation to the English language......Now being that most Dominicans in the exterior still speak predominatly Spanish, "Dominicana, Quisqueya, Santo Domingo, Rep?blica Dominicana" are the common words one will here from them when asked where they are from. The ones living in the D.R. break it down into mostly "El Cibao or La Capital".
"The Dominican" sounds cool to most since it was started by foreigners and accepted by (some) English speaking Dominicans. The Dominicans i know at NYU University which i also attend refer to our country as "the D.R. or the full name Dominican Republic" same with all my Dominican friends that speak English. As for "the Dominican" becoming the "future" reference to the Dominican Republic, when top universities and newspapers as The New York Times start calling it "the Dominican", sure why not accept it.....Please ask Oscar de La Renta, Juan Luis Guerra, Michael Camilo, and other prestigious Dominicans what country they are from not a MLB baseball player where few even dominate the English language and would just go by saying "the Dominican" because they hear it in reference to "the D.R." amongst English speaking non-Dominicans, most of these guys depend on translaters to begin with.
Oh yea "Platano" is also another name for Dominicans here in NYC given to us by "Ricans"

 

[atienoor]

My tiny brain is still trying to process what this is all about! I have not been here long but I refer to this country as Dominican Republic and the citizens as Dominicans. Nobody is yet to shoot me. Is this correct or not? When speaking the little spanish that I have, I try Republica Dominicana and each time, my tongue has fallen off!

I once lived in Kenya pronounced as the spanish would the n with a stress on it.However, because the English alphabet does not have that particular sound, most native English speakers called it Kenia and it infuriated Kenyans to no end!

A simple answer please...........

 

[Forbeca]

A simple answer please...........

Hay gentes que le gusta nadar contra la corriente, y hay otros que son totalmente ignorante. Eso es todo.

 

[Dominican Tony]

I have not been here long but I refer to this country as Dominican Republic and the citizens as Dominicans.

Not to worry, you are using the correct terminology when referring to this country and its people (most Dominicans appreciate that). The topic for this thread WAS (native Spanish speaker calls the D.R. "the Dominican") but ended up into other discussions off the main topic...As for pronouncing Rep?blica Dominicana being that English is your first language, trust me i know what you mean because my friends can barely get past Republica, hopefully they'll be able to pronounce it better when i take them to the D.R. this summer.

 

[Dominican Tony]

Forbeca a que te refieres? Estas de acuerdo con que le llamen "the Dominican" or el nombre corecto? No es gran cosa de mi parte, por mi le pueden llamar lo que sea, como quiera sera el mismo pais.

 

[Talldrink]

I thought the Debate was over about 92 replies ago:

Yes correct people who believe that the Dominican Republic is called The Dominican, but dont take this to the point of having a heart attack about it.

 

[Forbeca]

Forbeca a que te refieres? Estas de acuerdo con que le llamen "the Dominican" or el nombre corecto? No es gran cosa de mi parte, por mi le pueden llamar lo que sea, como quiera sera el mismo pais.

No, no estoy de acuerdo que usen "the Dominican". Cuando dije que alguna gente le gusta nadar contra la corriente, me refiero a la gente que no se conforma con lo normal, sino siempre estan buscando la manera de ser dificultosos. Los ignorantes, se les puede pasar, pero a un Dominicano? Pienso que no.

Solamente mi opinion...

 

[XanaduRanch]

Lol

Hay gentes que le gusta nadar contra la corriente, y hay otros que son totalmente ignorante. Eso es todo.

And into which category am I to be placed? Most days I don't know which way the currents are flowing. :: sigh ::

Atienoor:
You think La Republica Dominicana is a tongue twister? Ask Alba. I must have needed about a month - each - to keep from spitting on people while saying anaranjado (sp?) and imobiliaria. I am still working on otorrinolaringologia.

Tom aka XR 1 out of every 4 people is crazy. Check 3 friends. If they are OK, you're it.

 

[Talldrink]

No, no estoy de acuerdo que usen "the Dominican". Cuando dije que alguna gente le gusta nadar contra la corriente, me refiero a la gente que no se conforma con lo normal, sino siempre estan buscando la manera de ser disficultosos. Los ignorantes, se les puede pasar, pero a un Dominicano? Pienso que no.

Solamente mi opinion...

DITTO!!

 

[Forbeca]

And into which category am I to be placed? Most days I don't know which way the currents are flowing. :: sigh ::


I'm on your side on this one. I was referring to the opposition.

 

[Dominican Tony]

Eso si es verdad, hoy en dia ya es normal buscar poner las cosas mas dificil de lo que es....No heart attack on my behalf, there are others more into the subject that go more in depth with examples.

 

[MaineGirl]

Sigh.


Talldrink, I agree with you, this debate should have died a quiet, boring death. Apologies to Ricktoronto as well. I forgot we were in the DR1 schoolyard.

So, to summarize:

Most educated Dominicans who speak English would not use "the Dominican". Most but not all. If you've been following closely, baseball players aren't considered educated. (But oh, so cute!)

Native English speakers who have lived on the island, visited the island, or otherwise "know" (ex: have sold their voice in over 182 countries for 157 years in 12 languages), have EVERY RIGHT to correct those who don't "know" the difference between an adjective and a verb (oooooops, NOUN).

To a small minority, they don't really care if they hear it, but they don't use it.

I for one will never correct a fellow idiot when they say "the Dominican." I will say, "Listen to the radio, surely there is a perfectly modulated voice yammering at you that can tell you otherwise, my dear."


(I must add when translating this debate into one of the languages I speak, it became very clear that you just can't say the Dominican in sign language as a noun. There's a funny thing you do with your hands to signify person, place, thing and a whole 'nother funny thing to modify it...)