Sabes any Spanglish? Or maybe, un poco de inglisñol?
“Spanglish” – You have most likely heard this word before. Or maybe “Inglisñol”? Whether you have heard it before or not, you can probably hazard a guess at what it might be. Spanglish is the fascinating result of Spanish and English coming together and sharing words and grammar with each other.
The term Spanglish usually refers to Spanish with lots of English mixed in, whereas Inglisñol usually refers to English with lot of Spanish mixed in.
The number of speakers of Spanglish is difficult to nail down, but we can be certain that it is in the millions. it is completely natural that people would start to mix Spanish with English and vice versa creating a unique and diverse form of communication. That said, it is not only in the US that Spanglish is spoken. The use of Spanglish is on the rise and people are speaking it all over the Spanish-speaking world. For example, you might hear in Mexican soap opera say something like ¡Órale vato, wacha la ranfla, no lo vayas a parquear ahí que anda rondando la chota! , it means Hey, dude, watch the car, don’t park it there because the police are around.
The Spanglish spoken in different places also depends on the local varieties of Spanish and English, for example, the Spanglish spoken in Miami, where there is a heavy influence from Cuban Spanish, is very different from the Spanglish spoken in Puerto Rico.
Some typical Spanglish phrases are directly translated from English and might sound pretty weird to a native Spanish speaker hearing Spanglish for the first time, such as:
Te llamo p’atrás – I’ll call you back (in standard Spanish: te vuelvo a llamar)
Está encima de ti – It’s up to you (in standard Spanish: depende de ti)
Other Spanglish words are created when a Spanish word is used but with the meaning of a similar-sounding English word. For example, the word carpeta means folder in standard Spanish, but can be used to mean carpet in Spanglish. Some other examples are:
rentar – to rent (in standar Spanish ‘to rent‘ is ‘alquilar‘, and ‘rentar‘ means ‘to make a profit‘)
librería – library (in standard Spanish ‘library‘ is ‘biblioteca‘, and ‘librería‘ means ‘bookshop‘)
It is also very common to add the suffix ‘-ear’ to the end of a word to make it into a verb, for example: emailear (to email), twittear (to tweet), wachar (to watch), and parquear (to park).
Some people tend to think of Spanglish or Inglisñol as ‘bad Spanish’ or ‘bad English’, but in reality, it is a unique variety of the language with elements of both and which reflects the awesomeness and diversity of the community that speaks it. Many children are now growing up speaking Spanglish as a first language, and lots of people are proud of their Spanglish identity.
There are many prominent Spanglish speakers in the world, many of whom have created songs, films, and other works of art using the languages. Check out this selection of Spanglish songs – you probably know a few of them!
I Know You Want Me-Pitbull
it was an international hit. Although the video leaves something to be desired, it’s fair to note that this is one of the songs that fully embodies the essence of what Spanglish is – not only the mixture of two languages, but also of different cultures because it’s a remix of the Brazilian song “75, Street Brazil”
Carito- carlos vives
The song tells the story about his love for his English teacher to whom he can’t confess his feelings to because of the language barrier. This danceable vallenato is surely one for the ages.
Promise- Romeo Santos
Back in 2011, Santos also decided to add a little RnB flavor to his bachata by bringing in one of the biggest names in the modern era, Usher. he released “Promise” as the second single for his solo debut album, and made even the non-bachata lovers fall in love with the genre except me of course.
Heaven-Los Lonely Boys
the American Chicano rock trio had all of us asking: “How far is heaven?” with their Spanglish hit, “Heaven.” that not only mixes languages but visually shows the blend of Mexican and American cultures.
could you imagine Don Quijote de la Mancha translated into spanglish? so check this out
In un placete de La Mancha of which nombre no quiero remembrearme, vivía, not so long ago, uno de esos gentlemen who always tienen una lanza in the rack, una buckler antigua, a skinny caballo y un grayhound para el chase. A cazuela with más beef than mutón, carne choppeada para la dinner, un omelet pa' los Sábados, lentil pa' los Viernes, y algún pigeon como delicacy especial pa' los Domingos, consumían tres cuarers de su income. El resto lo employaba en una coat de broadcloth y en soketes de velvetín pa' los holidays, with sus slippers pa' combinar, while los otros días de la semana él cut a figura de los más finos cloths. Livin with él eran una housekeeper en sus forties, una sobrina not yet twenty y un ladino del field y la marketa que le saddleaba el caballo al gentleman y wieldeaba un hookete pa' podear. El gentleman andaba por allí por los fifty. Era de complexión robusta pero un poco fresco en los bones y una cara leaneada y gaunteada. La gente sabía that él era un early riser y que gustaba mucho huntear. La gente say que su apellido was Quijada or Quesada-hay diferencia de opinión entre aquellos que han escrito sobre el sujeto-but acordando with las muchas conjecturas se entiende que era really Quejada.
But all this no tiene mucha importancia pa' nuestro cuento, providiendo que al cuentarlo no nos separemos pa' nada de las verdá. It is known, pues, que el aformencionado gentleman, cuando se la pasaba bien, which era casi todo el año, tenía el hábito de leer libros de chivaldría with tanta pleasura y devoción as to leadearlo casi por completo a forgetear su vida de hunter y la administración de su estate. Tan great era su curiosidad e infatuación en este regarde que él even vendió muchos acres de tierra sembrable pa' comprar y leer los libros que amaba y carreaba a su casa as many as él podía obtuvir. Of todos los que devoreó, ninguno le plaseó más que los compuestos por el famoso Feliciano de Silva, who tenía una estylo lúcido y plotes intrincados that were tan preciados para él as pearlas; especialmente cuando readeaba esos cuentos de amor y challenges amorosos that se foundean por muchos placetes, por example un passage como this one: La rasón de mi unrasón que aflicta mi rasón, en such a manera weakenea mi rasón que yo with rasón lamento tu beauty. Y se sintió similarmente aflicteado cuando sus ojos cayeron en líneas como these ones: ... el high Heaven de tu divinidad te fortifiquea with las estrellas y te rendea worthy de ese deserveo que tu greatness deserva.
