The Dominican??

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AtlantaBob

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Jan 2, 2002
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Jane

I had a great response for you yesterday afternoon concerning "the Atlantic" but the power went out in our building before I could get the reply off. Anyway the topic has been covered quite well. So as they say up there in your part of the world, "let's not beat a dead moose" or something like that.

My final comment on this is that if one does refer to the the DR as the Dominican, then to a Dominican or long time resident, they simply sound like an IGNORANT GRINGO TURISTA (well maybe not that bad, but you know what I mean). 'Nuff said.

Bob,
the Dominican, from the Dominican.............REPUBLIC!
 
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El Jefe

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Jan 1, 2002
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Just curious...

If the Netherlands were truly Holland...wouldn't that make the Dutch the Hollandaise??

Sorry...had to do it.

Personally this is much to do about nothing.

If I was speaking spanish I would probably say "la Dominicana" and if I am speaking English I would say "the Dominican". IMHO if someone is offended by either they really need to get a life. Its like telling me I'm part Indian or Native American, or whatever...it really doesn't matter.
 
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AnnaC

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Jan 2, 2002
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My Canadian two cents. ( which isn't worth much these days)
This subject was discussed upside down and inside out a couple of years ago. I didn't know it offended anyone and I have never called it the Dominican since.
My point is we all love La Republica Domenicana, The Dominican Replublic and I don't think anyone is out to intentionally offend or hurt the land or it's people. It's just a faster or perhaps lazier way to write and say it.
 
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Tony C

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To me the answer is simple!
The Dominican What?
A few blocks from where I live is the Dominican Retreat House. A Catholic compound for religious retreats.
In North Miami is a 500 year old Dominican Monestary that was moved here from Italy.
So if you say "the Dominican" what do you mean?
Do you call Saudi Arabia The Saudi? The Ivory Coast the Ivory? Cape Verde the Verde?
The word Dominican in "the Dominican Republic" is a adjective. just like the word "People's" in The People's Republic of China. does anybody call it "the People's"?
BTW my wife hates it when people call it "the Dominican" and I agree with her.

Tony C.
 
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Meredith

LiVe ThE LiFe YoU iMaGiNeD
Jan 24, 2002
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Tony C said:
The word Dominican in "the Dominican Republic" is a adjective. just like the word "People's" in The People's Republic of China. does anybody call it "the People's"?
Tony C.
Click to expand...

They don't call it the "People's", but doesn't everybody shorten it and just call it "CHINA"?
 
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Tony C

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Meredith said:


They don't call it the "People's", but doesn't everybody shorten it and just call it "CHINA"?
Click to expand...

They call it 'China" because that is what it was know as before the communists took over. Just like people call the republic of China Taiwan or Formosa or Nationalist China.
Also China is not a adjective. "People's Republic" is. Like "The People's Republic of Pinecest" where I live.

Tony C.
 
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suarezn

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Feb 3, 2002
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Jane J.: I don't know if you're Dominican, but without getting into what Webster says, semantics or whatever...Believe me when I tell you that "The Dominican" is not the same as "Dominicana" when talking about the country, and that out of the two sentences I wrote, one makes sense and the other does not. It's just one of those subtleties of life. Te lo dice un dominicano, seco sacudio y medio poi buen cajon...BTW...Nice picture...
 
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trina

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Jan 3, 2002
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My husband is Dominican, and it certainly doesn't offend him when I say "Let's go to the Dominican," so I'm not going to worry about it. Those that it does bother really need to sit down and think about why it bothers them (for the sake of arguing?).
BTW
I have also heard Saudi Arabia being referred to as "Saudi" countless times.
 
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Meredith

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Jan 24, 2002
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Tony...

My Bad!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I know, it is the People's Republic of China. I was just thinking... not facting. Yes, Saudi Arabia is referred to by individuals that reside there as Saudi. There are many Saudis at my school and they do shorten it up.
 
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Meredith

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Jan 24, 2002
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Mondongo...

You are a geek!!!! Don't take that as an offensive........ hee, hee.;)
 
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Jane J.

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Jan 3, 2002
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Suarez:

Without getting into semantics, you say! Now, what fun would that be? I am all about semantics. Saying "en Dominicana" and "in the Dominican", to My Way of Thinking, are very similar cases, for reasons already outlined. "En Dominicana" prevails however because of popular usage. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

And no, I'm not a Dominican...but I play one on TV. Okay, just joking - I'm married to one, and he agrees with me - that it is the same. (Then again, he's my husband and I can be quite...convincing.)

Getting...Weaker...Now.......No fight....Left in me....Must rest....
 
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trina

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Jan 3, 2002
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Why thank you...I would think too that being called a "Dominican" drums up a much more pleasant image than "mondongo" brings! lol
 
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Jane J.

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Jan 3, 2002
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Just enough energy to say to Tony C that People's Republic is in no way an adjective. It's a proper noun. And "People's" by itself is a possessive pronoun.
 
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AtlantaBob

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If I could just convert Trina, I would rest easy the rest of my life. Perhaps an intervention session is in order followed by 28 days of rehab and indoctrination. And we would promise her husband that he would not go without, if he disagreed with her.
 
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trina

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aha! So the e-mail was intended for me! I will try my hardest to call it DR, just for you...Dominican Republic or Republica Dominicana is just too long.

PS
My husband NEVER disagrees with me because I'm always right. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.
 
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Tony C

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Jane J. said:
Just enough energy to say to Tony C that People's Republic is in no way an adjective. It's a proper noun. And "People's" by itself is a possessive pronoun.
Click to expand...
Whenever sombody asks me "where is my Grammar?" i just smile and say: Why back at the farm with Granpar!

Tony C.
 
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mkohn

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Jan 1, 2002
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IMHO "voy pa' la Dominicana" in context is perfect. Translating it into English makes it less clear, but within a group of DR lovers like ourselves, it should be clearly understood in English or Spanish.
In a global context, I'd recommend "DR" or "Dominican Republic" in English. I'd also bet that outside of the DR, "DR" and "RD" would have to be explained, but "Dominican Republic" or "Republica Dominicana" at least sounds like it's a country. The native language and knowledge of geography of the audience can't be assumed.
Just my humble opinion.
mk
 
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AtlantaBob

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Trina,

Only because you are married to a dominican and should know better. The gringo turistas that say it don't know any better.

But I did as you said, and sat down and thought about why it bothered me. As I was growing up in the DR, we occasionally visited our relatives in the US, in the southern US. I would get asked by people, things like, "You from the Dominican, boy?" or "where the heck is the Dominican?", "I thought that was Haiti." And I would think, "don't you fool people go to school or ever had a world geography course?" So today when I hear it, it connotes an image of an uneducated redneck (redundant??) to me. I'm not calling you an uneducated redneck, Trina. It's just an image I have from my childhood.

That's my story and I'm sticking to it. And I promise....this is my last post on the subject.
 
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suarezn

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Oooookkkkkk....Anybody that grew up in the DR will tell you that both "Voy pa' la Dominicana... and I'm going to The Dominican", while their meaning can be understood are both wrong and annoying.
Here are two "REAL" dominicans talking:
-Pa' onde tu va loco?
-Pa' Dominicana, caballo...pa' onde ma'?
-Pa' Santo Domingo?
-No ombe pana... Pa' Cotui...que voy yo a bucai pa' La Capitai?

Here is an a non-dominican and one of these "real" dominicans talking:
-Pa' onde tu va loco?
-Antes que nada no me llames loco...que no lo soy. Para que veas que voy para La Dominicana...
-Ponde quien?
-Para La Dominicana...
-Ah...una jeva que ute tiene?
-Una Jeva...que significa eso?
-Una mujei...pana...que 'e lo suyo?
-Ah bueno. No, no para donde una mujer...Para su pais..
-Ah ombe...e pa' Dominicana que ute' va? Pa' La Capitai?
-Para un lugar llamado Cotui...No tengo nada que buscar en Santo Domingo...

Here's a "real" Dominican talking to a Gringo...who understands Spanish
Dominican: Hey hermano pa' onde ute va?
Gringo: I'm going to The Dominican...
Dominican: Ah bueno...ta' to' mi pana...Pa' Santo Domingo? (while thinking...Que vaina eta...Eto gringo ei diablo que no pueden decir ei nombre dei pai')
Gringo: I'm going to The Cotui...not The Santo Domingo...
Dominican: Y dale con la The en frente dei nombre dei pueblo...Y e que no saben hablai eta gente ei diablo?

See the difference? As Forest Gump would say "...and that's all I have to say about that"...
 
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