That one word in each Spanish-speaking country....

[Marianopolita]

Thank you for the follow up. Pinche was easy enough to find, but the word I was having trouble finding was "wey". I was spelling it "jue". I'm always fascinated at how words can take on decidedly different meanings from one country to another, especially when the countries are not that far apart geographically. Thanks again for your lessoncitas!

Te gustan mis lessoncitas...... Siempre a la orden.

Yes, I agree a word can change meaning drastically from region to region, country to country and even within the same country a word can have different meanings. That is why if you are not sure either ask or don’t use the word until you are sure you are using it correctly or in the right context.

You have to love Spanish......a beautiful language and very rich.

 

[Africaida]

The reaction you described in your first paragraph is what I would have expected totally regarding un chin.

Llámame pa’tra is just a bad literal translation from English to Spanish used among bilingual or partially bilingual speakers. It makes no sense to Spanish speakers who don‘t speak English. It would never even occur to them to say that because the literal translation makes no sense. It is used a lot in Miami for sure and probably NYC. The proper way devolver la llamada is not common at all in Miami.

I hear it in DR from speaker who don't speak a word of English (Llamame pa atrás) , although they also say devolver la llamada.

 

[Marianopolita]

I hear it in DR from speaker who don't speak a word of English (Llamame pa atrás) , although they also say devolver la llamada.

Yes, it is used in DR. I should have clarified a bit more. I hear it too but my DR friends who don’t speak English don’t say that. We think once again it is tied to a certain group. Many Dominicans from NYC say it so people they know and their relatives in DR start to say it although it makes no sense. I have also heard Dominicans in DR say no tiene sentido- te llamo pa’tra. My DR friends do not say it. Once again education is key.

However, in DR and PR I expect to hear it because of Miami and NYC but try that in the heart of Colombia....you see where I am going with this right? I know many Spanish speakers who laugh at te llamo pa’tra and honestly I don’t blame them.

 

[Marianopolita]

I hear it in DR from speaker who don't speak a word of English (Llamame pa atrás) , although they also say devolver la llamada.

If you have time please read this article. It’s a commentary on phrases like te llamo pa’tra and other forms borrowed from English that are heard in the USA and was discussed at a Language Congress years ago in Panamá.

Te llamo pa’trás: el español que están creando los “hispanounidenses”

En EE. UU. hay 46,3 millones de hablantes de castellano. ¿Están elaborando una variedad propia del idioma?

www.clarin.com

 

[Africaida]

Yes, it is used in DR. I should have clarified a bit more. I hear it too but my DR friends who don’t speak English don’t say that. We think once again it is tied to a certain group. Many Dominicans from NYC say it so people they know and their relatives in DR start to say it although it makes no sense. I have also heard Dominicans in DR say no tiene sentido- te llamo pa’tra. My DR friends do not say it. Once again education is key.

However, in DR and PR I expect to hear it because of Miami and NYC but try that in the heart of Colombia....you see where I am going with this right? I know many Spanish speakers who laugh at te llamo pa’tra and honestly I don’t blame them.

I understand what you meant and it came to be, do not use it myself...However, I have heard several times from people (younger) who don't speak english and have no ties and family to US. All it takes is a reggaeton song with that in the coro and you have a segment of the population who start saying it.

Then, people laugh at it, till they it later become mainstream (Think Enrique featuring "the urban artist of the moment" with a song titled Te llamo pa atras) 💃

 

[Marianopolita]

I understand what you meant and it came to be, do not use it myself...However, I have heard several times from people (younger) who don't speak english and have no ties and family to US. All it takes is a reggaeton song with that in the coro and you have a segment of the population who start saying it.

Then, people laugh at it, till they it later become mainstream (Think Enrique featuring "the urban artist of the moment" with a song titled Te llamo pa atras) 💃

I know all that and I understand what you are saying with songs influencing language and it is factor but this particular example is not. Te llamo pa’tra(s) has been around for a long time. It is what is called a traslación even more precise than a translation in linguistics. It comes up in linguistic studies all the time.

Look at the predominant age group that say it (including non English speakers) compared to those that do not. No need to go further here. I don‘t think it is necessary but the example of the people you gave who use it are exactly who I expect to use it and they are not in the majority. It is still a low number if you compare it to all of the Spanish-speaking world of almost 500 million speakers.

Look it from the other side. Have a conversation with speakers who don’t use it and it is large group and you will understand and what I am saying. Yes, you will meet non English speakers that use it but they are not in the majority. Don’t forget the DR represents only approximately 3% of the Spanish-speaking world. Even if you throw in PR and speakers from NYC and Miami that sample size is not a large number.

Let’s leave this here...since it is not even a key word that represents any country as per the original thread topic.

 

[JD Jones]

What do you mean? There can be more than one word that identifies a country per the explanation in my opening post and the interview conducted by El País
.

What does abagato mean?

I have never heard that word and I just looked it up in the dictionary and it says not found.

It almost sounds like a Brazilian word. Isn't that how they say thank you?

 

[Marianopolita]

It almost sounds like a Brazilian word. Isn't that how they say thank you?

Could be but I don’t speak Portuguese.

If that is the case what is the connection to any of the Spanish-speaking countries?

 

[Chirimoya]

Thank you in Portuguese is obrigado/a.

When I saw 'abagato' I thought it was an attempt to say abogado/lawyer because that is how some English-speakers pronounce it.

 

[Marianopolita]

Thank you in Portuguese is obrigado/a.

When I saw 'abagato' I thought it was an attempt to say abogado/lawyer because that is how some English-speakers pronounce it.

Even so what is the connection to the thread topic? What am I missing unless it is a joke?

 

[Chirimoya]

Even so what is the connection to the thread topic? What am I missing unless it is a joke?

No idea, but that's the only word it resembles.

 

[Marianopolita]

Mande- Mexico- said when asking someone to repeat something they did not hear....¿mande?


I have only heard this from Mexicans.

 

[Marianopolita]

Regarding Mexico have a look at this link.

I hear 1, 3, 5, 6, 9, 10, and 11 on a regular basis.

14 Essential Sayings Travelers to Mexico Need to Know

These common sayings in Mexican Spanish will help you understand and connect with locals in Mexico and impress your Mexican friends at home.

matadornetwork.com

 

[Sailor51]

What do you mean? There can be more than one word that identifies a country per the explanation in my opening post and the interview conducted by El País
.

What does abagato mean?

I have never heard that word and I just looked it up in the dictionary and it says not found.

Sorry it took so long to get back.
I meant "Abagado". Lawyer.

 

[Marianopolita]

Sorry it took so long to get back.
I meant "Abagado". Lawyer.

The word is abogado....a b o g a d o.

I don’t understand how this word fits into the topic of the thread.

 

[Marianopolita]

Ay bendito.....an expression I have only heard from Puerto Ricans.

 

[Sailor51]

The point was that if there was a problem, to just lawyer up.
Maybe I should have used barrister.
Too late to be funny now.