Grammarama - Articles on Spanish
Learn to speak
Argentine Spanish
or standard, international Spanish
Spanish versionLearning More About Argentine Spanish (Part I)
by Mariángeles Di PaolaBuenos Aires, October, 2009
Argentine Spanish is a little different from the Spanish spoken in Spain and the rest of the Spanish-speaking countries. Those small differences can be found in the expressive and communicative features of language instead of Spanish language, since this fulfills its communicative function effectively. In this way Spanish language can be spoken and understood by any human being from any nationality who appropiates it, regardless of variations in everyday language, which varies from one country to another.
For visitors who come to Argentina for the first time is good to know in advance some words in Argentinian Spanish. Let´s look some of them.
Normally people say ´negocio` (business) instead of ´tienda` (shop) although they use as well the first word according to the standard meaning in Spanish. This way note that ´negocio` (business) refers to any activity of providing goods and services involving financial, commercial, and industrial aspects and the people who take part in it.
The word ´lágrima` (tear) was born at Argentine coffee shops being difficult to determine the exact timeline. However, we can definitely say that it happened by the first decades of the 20th century. A ´lágrima` is a beverage served in a small cup where you add milk and a small amount of coffee which we can, metaphorically, name ´some tears´. We say ´lágrima` when ask for this kind of hot drink at a café.
On the other hand, the importance of the coffee shops in our country is interesting. There the most different people have always met to discuss the most varied topics as well. This way recall the nice story of the tango-song ´Cafetín de Buenos Aires´ (Buenos Aires Café) by Enrique Santos Discépolo, an Argentine lyrics writer. I can tell readers about my life story that Américo Motta, my paternal great-uncle and one of the kindest relatives our family have ever had, used to have meetings with his friends at a café located around ten blocks from his house, in Boedo neighborhood of Buenos Aires. There, among other things, they would spend time defining the meaning of some Spanish words. For that Américo used to take a diccionary formed by several volumens, which had more than 3000 pages!
Also, visitors who come to Argentina should know in advance the word ´locutorio`. This is a shop that offers telephone service and, in many cases, Internet connection and sending and reception of faxes as well.
As can be appreciated, words are not only words --if they were only that, would refer to a trivial sense--, since they can provide a bridge to better communication and comprehension. This small contribution tries to show the communicative function of some words in Argentine Spanish. Another Argentinian term is described in 'Learning More About Argentine Spanish (Part II).'
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| ´Negocios´ in Florida Street, Buenos Aires. |
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