My girlfriend is dominican and she said this phrase to me but im not sure what it means....yo quiero un chin.
What does un chin mean?
What does un chin mean?
- Thread starter Rangerfan11
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Need help translating
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Chin or chin-chin is the Taino Indian word for a little bit. There is a bird in the Caribbean we call "chinchilin" which in efect means little bird.
Interesting thoughts on the origins of the word.
Don't laugh, but here goes the explanation that was given to me.
As the Dominicans refer to yellow ripe oranges as "china", in reference to Chinese people of "yellow" skin, likewise they refer to something small as "un chin", as Chinese people are small.
Don't kill the messenger. That's just what they told me.
I wont laugh, its actually a pretty sad explanation! Nope its a Taino word, tried and tested. In fact the word appears in many other Arawakan dialectics.
All the best
J
Interesting theory, but I doubt that Dominicans know the origins of oranges.
Heck I can't even get them to accept evolution, and when I tell them that we are descendants of the apes, they tell me, "You maybe, but not me!"
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Steve
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Steve
I never said they did so consciously, just like we don't necessarily know the etymology of many words we use. It might be a case of an archaic name that remained in use here, in contrast to the rest of the Spanish-speaking world where they are called 'naranjas'.
We did an article about this in Dominican Cooking but I can't find it right now.
That makes sense.
Maybe the Spaniards brought the word with them.
I wonder if we have any Spaniards on this board who could tell us if they use/used the word too.
I just presumed it was a Dominican word only, but who knows for sure?
When I was in the fruit & veggie business, it was commonly used, but only for the sweet oranges.
The sour ones that they refer to as naranja de jugo, were never called, "la china".
I have heard "chin" used a couple of other places, but they have some light DR influence: PR and Venezuela.
Using "un chin" other places (Argentina, Mexico, CR, Guatemala, Peru and Colombia from memory) yields a quizzical look and a "que?" o "perdon?"
I am surprised no one has noted the sexual connotation as well- it is occasionally used by the opposite sex (male or female) to say that they want "some"
if in the appropriate setting.
Using "un chin" other places (Argentina, Mexico, CR, Guatemala, Peru and Colombia from memory) yields a quizzical look and a "que?" o "perdon?"
I am surprised no one has noted the sexual connotation as well- it is occasionally used by the opposite sex (male or female) to say that they want "some"
if in the appropriate setting.- Status