Ruben Cobos, recorder, September 27, 1976
Item — Box: 13, CD: Lect 5
Scope and Contents
Lecture on Mexican Influence on the Spanish Language of New Mexico, Mexicanismos (fair to good recording, in Spanish, you can hear Cobus but some of the Spanish words are hard to understand, in the beginning of the CD Cobos is talking to his class about the weather and health, September, he tells them a little chiste or joke about pneumonia., then he goes on to talk about Mexicanismos, Spanish words from Mexico that have enterd into the Spanish language of New Mexio, Southern Colorado and parts of the Southwest, these are words and expressions brought into the area by Mexican workers and immigrants, some word are very local and are not accepted by the national dictionary of Spanish, the Academia Real of Spain, while some others have been included, sometimes these words from Mexico have a different meaning in Mexico than in Spain or in New Mexico or elsewhere, Cobos has given the class of list of these words as examples (CSWR does not have this list), he goes on to discuss some of the words, examples, he comments are sometime humourous, desbalagado, from Latin delgalagar, yerba, soquete, diminutives like lueguerito, ahorarita, example of mande, use in Mexico, came from colonial Spanish times, when Spanish gave commands, mandar, guachupin, a Mayan word referring to a bad Spaniard, while a good Spanish person was just called un espanol; for example he discusses the class system of New Spain, espanoles, criollos, mestizos, Indios, such terms were based on economic discrimination, class, were not so much racial; then he describes how the people of Mexico made very little social advancement, improvement or gain after the Mexican Revolution of 1910, etc.; he noted how the Spanish took some words from the Native American Indian people of the Caribbean Islands and of Mexico and adapted the terms into the Spanish lanaguage; and how in reverse, the Indian people of Mexico had an Aztec Nahuatl word for many things but after the Spanish came began to use the new Spanish terms for the same things instead of the old native words, like maiz and tortilla, enchiladas, etc., he gives examples of words used by the Spanish colonials that came from Haiti, the Dominican Republic, other words from Mexico, camote, lengon, guajolote instead of pavo, and different meanings for some works, desgraciada, petaca, petaquilla, maleta, huevo, blanquillo, huero, hueritoa, chile, jajando, jarabe, hijole, etc; he continues to read from the list of words he had given the class and giving their meaning and use, etc.).
Dates
- September 27, 1976
Language of Materials
From the Collection:
English, Spanish
Access Restrictions
The collection is open for research.
Extent
From the Collection: 13 boxes (12.25 cu. ft.)
Creator
- From the Collection: Cobos, Rubén (Person)
Repository Details
Part of the UNM Center for Southwest Research & Special Collections Repository
Contact:
University of New Mexico Center for Southwest Research & Special Collections
University Libraries, MSC05 3020
1 University of New Mexico
Albuquerque NM 87131
505-277-6451
University of New Mexico Center for Southwest Research & Special Collections
University Libraries, MSC05 3020
1 University of New Mexico
Albuquerque NM 87131
505-277-6451