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Spanish language
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Chilean Spanish (Spanish: Español chileno or Castellano chileno) is the variety of Spanish spoken in most of Chile. Though still entirely mutually intelligible with standard Spanish, Chilean Spanish has distinctive pronunciation, grammar, vocabulary, and slang usage. Standard Spanish or Neutral Spanish is a linguistic variety or lect that is considered a correct educated standard for the Spanish language. ... For other uses, see Slang (disambiguation). ...

Variation and accents

See also: Chilote Spanish

In Chile, there are significant differences between the Spanish spoken in the Northern, Central and Southern areas of the country, though overall the speech of the country is remarkably homogeneous, considering its geographical extent.^[1] Chilote is the dialect of Chilean Spanish spoken on the southern Chilean island of La Gran Isla de Chiloé (English: The Great Island of Chiloe) or simply, Chiloé. It has distinct differences from standard Chilean Spanish in accent and pronunciation, especially influenced by Mapudungun (also known as Mapuche) and other...

Phonetics and phonology

There are a number of phonetic features common to most Chilean accents, though none of them individually are unique to Chilean Spanish. Rather, it is the particular combination of features that sets Chilean Spanish apart from other regional Spanish dialects. These features include:^[2][3]

• Yeísmo, the merger of the phonemes /ʎ/, spelled <ll>, with /ʝ/, spelled <y>. Thus, cayó ("fell") and calló ("fell silent") are homophones, both pronounced [kaˈʝo]. In dialects which lack yeísmo, the two words would be pronounced respectively [kaˈʝo] and [kaˈʎo]. Though yeísmo is common to most of Latin America, it is not the case that this feature should be considered a Latin American one, because both in Spain and Latin America there are regions with and without "yeísmo". Even in Chile, there are some people, mostly in rural zones, that are not "yeístas".
• Word- and syllable-final /s/ is aspirated to [h] or lost entirely, another feature common to much of Latin America. Whether final /s/ aspirates or is elided depends on a number of social, regional, and phonological factors, but in general aspiration is more common, especially when preceding a consonant. Complete elision is most commonly found word-finally, but is somewhat less common overall in formal or upper-class speech. Thus, los chilenos ("the Chileans") becomes [lɔh ʃiˈleːnɔ].
• The velar consonants /k/, /ɡ/, and /x/ are fronted or palatalized before front vowels. Thus, queso ("cheese"), guía ("guide"), and jinete ("rider/horseman") become respectively [ˈk̟ʲeːso], [ˈɡ̟ʲia], and [x̟ʲiˈn̪eːt̪e].
• The voiceless postalveolar affricate /ʧ/ is pronounced as a fricative [ʃ] (so Chile becomes [ˈʃiːle]). Another variant is a fronted, almost alveolar affricate, [ʦ].
• A number of processes apply to the rhotics /r/ and /ɾ/. Word-finally, especially in verb infinitives, /ɾ/ is frequently lost (e.g., contar, "to tell", becomes [kon̪ˈt̪aː]) or assibilated to a voiceless fricative or approximant similar to [ʂ] or [ɹ̥] (e.g., [kon̪ˈt̪aːɹ̥]). A similar assibilation occurs with the trill /r/ (e.g., rosa, "rose", becomes [ˈɹoːsa]). The sequence /tɾ/ is also commonly assibilated to a voiceless apical postalveolar affricate, [tɹ̥] or [tʂ].
• Between vowels and word-finally, /d/ commonly elides (a process common throughout the Spanish-speaking world), so that contado ("told") and ciudad ("city") become respectively [kon̪ˈt̪aːo] and [sjuˈð̞aː].
• The sequences [h]+[β̞] and [h]+[ɰ] (where the [h]s are the results of /s/-weakening) are devoiced to, respectively, [f] and [x]. Thus, resbaló ("slid") and rasgó ("tore") become respectively [ɹɛfaˈloː] and [ɹaˈxoː].
• The sequence /ɾn/ is assimilated to [nn]. Thus, jornada ("workday") becomes [xonˈn̪aː].
• In the sequence /bl/, the /b/ is vocalized to [u]. Thus, inolvidable ("unforgettable") becomes [in̪olˈβ̞jaːule].
• Lipski also mentions as distinctive the devoicing of word-final, unstressed vowels.

Yeísmo is a distinctive feature of many dialects of the Spanish language, which consists of the merger of the palatal lateral approximant phoneme (written ll) with another phoneme, usually realized as a palatal fricative or affricate. ... In human language, a phoneme is the theoretical representation of a sound. ... This article is about the term in linguistics. ... Velars are consonants articulated with the back part of the tongue (the dorsum) against the soft palate (the back part of the roof of the mouth, known also as the velum). ... Palatalization means pronouncing a sound nearer to the hard palate, making it more like a palatal consonant; this is towards the front of the mouth for a velar or uvular consonant, but towards the back of the mouth for a front (e. ... Vowels Near-close Close-mid Mid Open-mid Near-open Open Where symbols appear in pairs, the one to the right represents a rounded vowel. ... The voiceless palato-alveolar affricate or domed postalveolar affricate is a type of consonantal sound used in some spoken languages. ... Alveolar consonants are articulated with the tongue against or close to the superior alveolar ridge, which is called that because it contains the alveoli (the sockets) of the superior teeth. ... In linguistics, rhotic can refer to: a rhotic consonant such as IPA a rhotic accent such as General American an r-colored vowel such as IPA This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... An apical consonant is a phone produced by obstructing the air passage with the apex of the tongue (i. ... The voiceless palato-alveolar affricate or domed postalveolar affricate is a type of consonantal sound used in some spoken languages. ...

Pronouns

Chileans variably use the voseo and tuteo forms in the second person familiar, as in many Latin American countries. Countries that feature voseo. ... Note: This page contains IPA phonetic symbols in Unicode. ... Latin America consists of the countries of South America and some of North America (including Central America and some the islands of the Caribbean) whose inhabitants mostly speak Romance languages, although Native American languages are also spoken. ...

Pronominal voseo consists of using the pronoun vos (in Chile, [boh] or [bo]) in place of tú for the second person singular familiar/informal, whereas verbal voseo is the use of corresponding verb forms (tenís instead of tienes, hablái instead of hablas, etc.). Voseo is common in Chile. Especially the verbal voseo is widespread in the spoken language, yet unlike in neighboring Argentina, it is not quite accepted in the written language, where the standard tuteo is used.
Frequently, the pronoun tú is used with the vos forms of verbs: tú tenís, tú hablái, etc.^[4]

Basically, in Chile there are at least four grades of formality:

1. Pronominal voseo, that is, the use of the pronoun vos (with the corresponding voseo verbs).
For example: vos sabís, vos venís, vos hablái, etc.
Pronominal voseo occurs only in very informal situations and is always considered insulting. Among close friends it can be used in a non insulting way; however with a slight change in intonation it could go from a meaning of friendly banter to a form of insult in a heated argument, even among close friends. Non-native chileans should avoid using vos.

2. Verbal voseo, using the pronoun tú.
For example: tú sabís, tú tenís, tú hablái, tú vivís, etc.
Verbal voseo is widespread in the spoken language.

3. Standard tuteo.
For example: tú sabes, tú hablas, tú tienes, tú vienes, etc.

4. The use of the pronoun usted.
For example: usted viene, usted habla, usted tiene, etc.

The Chilean voseo conjugation has only three irregular verbs in the indicative present: ser, ir, and haber. Countries that feature voseo. ...

Vocabulary

Chilean Spanish has a great deal of distinctive slang and vocabulary. Some examples of distinctive Chilean slang include chaucha (money), gallo/a (guy/gal), fome (boring), pelambre (gossip), poto (buttocks)^[5], quiltro and chomba^[6]. In addition, several of words in Chilean Spanish are loaned from neighboring Amerindian languages:

Mapudungun loanwords

The Mapudungun language has left a relatively small number of words in Chilean Spanish, given its relatively large geographic expanse. Most Mapudungun loans are names for plants and animals for example:^[7] Mapudungun is an Araucanian language spoken in Chile and Argentina by the Mapuche people. ...

• Copihue - Chile's national flower
• Coypo, a species of rodent.^[8]
• Culpeo - a fox species
• Huala
• Maqui
• Luma - a genus of the Myrtaceae plant family
• Yeco

Binomial name Lapageria rosea Ruiz & Pav. ... Binomial name (Molina, 1782) The coypu or nutria (Myocastor coypus) is a large, herbivorous, semiaquatic rodent and the only member of the family Myocastoridae. ... Binomial name Pseudalopex culpaeus (Molina, 1782) The culpeo is a South American species of wild dog. ... Species Four species, including: Luma apiculata Luma chequen Luma is a genus of four species of plants in the myrtle family Myrtaceae, native to the Valdivian temperate rain forests of southwestern South America. ... Genera 130; see list The Myrtaceae or Myrtle family are a family of dicotyledon plants, placed within the order Myrtales. ...

Quechua loanwords

The Quechua language is probably the Amerindian language that has given Chilean Spanish the largest number of loan words. For example, the names of many American vegetables in Chilean Spanish are derived from Quechuan names, rather than from Nahuatl as in Standard Spanish. Some of the words of Quechuan origin include:^[7] Quechua (Runa Simi in Quechua; Runa, human + Simi, speech, literally mouth; i. ... Nahuatl ( [1] is a term applied to a group of related languages and dialects of the Aztecan [2] branch of the Uto-Aztecan language family, indigenous to central Mexico. ...

• Callampa - "mushroom" (seta in Standard Spanish)
• Chasca - "tassle" can also be diminutized to "Chasquilla" which means bangs (of hair)
• Choclo - "maize/corn" (maíz in Standard Spanish)
• Chúcaro - "spirited/wild" used traditionally by Huasos to refer to a horse
• Chupalla - a straw hat used by huasos
• Chupe - "soup/chowder"
• Cocaví - "snack/lunch" or "picnic"
• Guagua - "baby" (bebé in Standard Spanish) pronounced like wahwah
• Guanaco - a native camelid animal
• Huacho - an orphan or illegitimate children
• Humita - a Andean dish
• Locro - a Andean stew dish
• Mate - an infusion made of yerba mate
• Mote - a type of dryed wheat
• Palta - "avocado" (aguacate in Standard Spanish)
• Poroto - "bean" (frijol in Standard Spanish)
• Yapa
• Zapallo - "squash/pumpkin" (calabaza in Standard Spanish)

The most common form of the chupalla The chupalla is a traditional Chilean horsemans hat made of straw. ... Huaso in chilean rodeo A huaso (feminine huasa, although the term china is far more commonly used for his wife or sweetheart, whose dress can be seen in cueca dancing) is a Chilean countryman and skilled horseman, similar to the Argentinian or Uruguayan gaucho and the US cowboy. ... Binomial name Lama guanicoe (Müller, 1776) The guanaco (Lama guanicoe) is an elegant, fine-boned camelid animal that stands approximately 1. ... Map of the world showing distribution of camelids. ... Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Humita Humitas are a Native American dish from prehispanic times, and a traditional food in Argentina, Chile, Ecuador and Perú. They consist of masa harina and cooked corn, slowly cooked in oil. ... Locro is a hearty stew popular in Argentina. ... Beef Stew A stew is a common dish made of vegetables (particularly potatoes or beans), meat, poultry, or seafood cooked in some sort of broth or sauce. ... Mate Mate (pronounced ) is a caffeinated infusion prepared by steeping dried leaves of erva-mate (Portuguese) / yerba mate (Spanish) (Ilex paraguariensis) in hot water. ... An infusion is a beverage made by steeping a flavoring substance in hot or boiling water. ... Binomial name A. St. ... A glass with Mote con huesillo Mote con huesillo is a typical Chilean non alcoholic drink and dessert. ...

Example

An example of a text in normal, relaxed pronunciation in Chilean Spanish, from [1]:

José Marcelo Salas Melinao (born December 24, 1974 in Temuco), better known as Marcelo Salas, is a football player from Chile. ... Iván Luis Zamorano Zamora (born January 18, 1967) is a former Chilean football forward, one of the most successful footballers ever for Chile. ...

See also

• Chile
• Spanish language
• Spanish dialects and varieties

This article is about the international language known as Spanish. ... Note: This page or section contains IPA phonetic symbols in Unicode. ...

References

Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 224th day of the year (225th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 162nd day of the year (163rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 316th day of the year (317th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Dictionary. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 316th day of the year (317th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

Bibliography

• Lipski, John M. (1994). Latin American Spanish. Essex, England: Longman Group Limited.

External links

• Que Wea! - An interactive list with Chilean Spanish - American English vocabulary.
• (Spanish) Diccionario de Modismos Chilenos - Comprehensive "Dictionary of Chilean Terms".
• Chile 14 Chilean Slang - list of popular Chilean slang terms.
• Pepe's Chile Chilean Slang - basic list of Chilean slang/unique colloquialisms.
• Contact Chile Chilean Spanish - short guide to Chilean Spanish.
• Elcastellano.org