New Spanish – English Dialect Discovered In Florida

Owing to the influence of Cuban descendants a new English dialect has evolved in the US, and no, it’s not Spanglish.

There are many Spanish language idioms that take some explaining to an English speaker and of course vice versa. However, it has recently been reported that a new Spanish-influenced dialect of English has developed, according to Nuis Diario, June 21.

The trend appears to be very prevalent in Miami, Florida where English-spoken expressions are commonly accepted that would stand out like a sore thumb in any other English-speaking region.

Phrases such as, ‘get down from the car,’ or ‘make the line’ are just two that would get puzzled looks anywhere else.

The reason it seems is that Cuban descendants are integrating literal Spanish expressions into English, which according to a study by US language experts has actually resulted in a new dialect.

This phenomenon is nothing new in itself. In societies where two languages coexist very closely, it is not uncommon for words and phrases to fuse and create a new dialect. This is what has happened in certain areas of America with English and Spanish.

To a Spanish speaker with a basic grasp of English, the command: ‘get down from the car’ instead of, ‘get out of the car’ may seem perfectly logical, but to a native English speaker, it breaks all the rules, except if you live in southern Florida it seems.

Often it is the prevalence of the English language that ‘invades’ other foreign tongues, but in this instance, the roles have been reversed. Experts believe that this is not a passing fad, but a lasting phenomenon that has been shaping a new linguistic identity for at least a decade.

In a recent study, Phillip Carter, a sociolinguist at Florida International, has highlighted how many expressions have now become the norm that are grating to the ears of most English speakers and in some cases grammatically incorrect, but sound natural and appropriate in Miami.

Some Linguistic Examples

Here are some examples of the new acceptable dialect.

• ‘Make the line’ instead of the more widely accepted ‘queue.’
• ‘Married with’ instead of the more orthodox ‘married to.’
• ‘Meat empanada’ rather than ‘beef empanada.’ Here the literal Spanish translation of ‘carne,’ which refers to chicken, pork or beef products, has prevailed.
• ‘Make a party,’ instead of ‘have’ or ‘throw a party.’
• ‘Make’ or ‘Throw a photo,’ instead of ‘take a photo,’
• Finally, one more memorable one is, ‘thanks God,’ which conspicuously ends with an ‘s’ just as in Spanish with the expression ‘gracias a Dios.

Experts are quick to point out that this is not a mixture of languages, but a fusion. Spanglish, as it is known, uses words from both languages in the same sentence.

A new dialect has been formed by the contagion of English with Spanish grammatical forms and expressions. English words but used in sentences following a different construction.

A similar thing happened in 1066 when England was invaded by the Normans, who spoke French. French became the common language of the English aristocracy, but the working classes continued to speak English. However, the need for communication between the two gave rise to new expressions which transformed it into the language we know today.