A Little Language Lesson

All my books - Getting LOTS of use

I love Spanish.  I always have.  It's pretty, especially here in Cuenca where the locals are known for speaking slower and more melodic than other cities.  It's fun because there are so many words that are similar to or even exactly the same as it's English counterpart, for instance traffico, apartamento, televisíon, persona, etc.  All you need to do is add you're best latino twist to these and waa-lah!  You're speaking Spanish!  Even if the words aren't exactly the same or similiar to an english word, if you have any experience at all with say a Mexican restaurant, Sesame Street, Dora the Explorer or High School Spanish Class 101, you've certainly heard at least some of these words before - agua, leche, frijoles, mi casa es su casa, carne, hombre, mujer and much much more.  But we don't speak Spanish here in Cuenca, oh noooo that would be too easy!  Cuencanos speak a cute little hybrid version of Español and it's called Españolita!  Españolita makes everything little and cute by adding on an "ita" or a "ito" to the end of many many words.  Imagine if every word (ok ok to be fair every other word) in English you added a "y" or "ie" to the end of or somehow you "littlefied" it and then if that wasn't enough cuteness for you, you kind of sang what you said, drawing out all of your vowels making it sound as if you were talking to a 3 year old at all times.  It might sound something like this: 

I live in a housie with my little family, my kitty and and my doggie and when we're hungry I make a little ricey and beanies!  Oooh, how I loooove to go to little meetings at the Kingdom Haaaally and see alllll my dear little brothers and sissies.  There's Jordy and AJy and Sethy and Meggy, Gwenny and Victorie, Jennyie and Jeffy!  On Saturdays we share a little message with our little neighbors and then go for a breakie.

So, in Españolita hermano (brother) becomes hermanito and casa (house) becomes casita.  Gringos (foreigners) are gringitos and Chinos (Chinese people) are called Chinitos.  Perro (dog) is perrito while dinero (money) is dinertito and just a little money is un poquito dinertito.  Meanwhile my little cerebrito (brain) just might explodito!  En seriodito (serioulsy)!

Haha!  It takes a while to catch on to what's going on around you.  But once you learn to identify the "littles" in the language, things become a lot easier to comprehend.  I still do love Spanish and especially all my hermanitos and hermanitas helping me learn.  Looks like we'll be starting more formal language lessons soon too!  McKleskys will be helping us out.  They're a couple from the States who have been here 12 years so we're really looking forward to getting some real language direction and not just using our best spanish accents with made-up words, hand signs, drawings and sound effects to get our point across! 

And speaking of language...had my first demo last night at the meeting.  During the song, a brother asked me if I could be the householder that speaks a foreign language who is witnessed to by a sister using the "Good News" booklet.  My mind immediately went to Chinese.  Sure, yep, I could act Chinese.  Wouldn't be the first time.  But no, I would be playing the part of an American in Ecuador who doesn't speak Spanish.  So, my first demo here was in English, slightly ironic.