Mexican Spanish

Mexican Spanish has a great deal of internal variation and is not necessarily coterminous with the country of Mexico. The Spanish spoken in the southernmost state of Chiapas, bordering Guatemala, resembles the variety of Central American Spanish spoken in that country, where is used. Meanwhile, the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo and later immigration led to a large number of Mexicans residing in what had become US territory, and many of their descendants have continued to speak Spanish. Finally, the Spanish spoken in coastal areas often exhibits certain phonetic traits in common with Caribbean Spanish rather than with that of central Mexico, and the Spanish of the Yucatán Peninsula is quite distinct from other varieties. For instance, the Spanish of northern Mexico, including the traditional Spanish of New Mexico, is characterized by its own distinct set of intonation patterns. Regarding the evolution of the Spanish spoken in Mexico, the Swedish linguist Bertil Malmberg points out that in Central Mexican Spanish—unlike most varieties in the other Spanish-speaking countries—unstressed vowels are often devoiced or elided, while syllable-final consonants, especially , tend not to be reduced. Malmberg attributes this to a Nahuatl substratum. The Mexican linguist Juan M. Lope Blanch, however, finds similar weakening of vowels in regions of several other Spanish-speaking countries; he also finds no similarity between the vowel behavior of Nahuatl and that of Central Mexican Spanish; and thirdly, he finds Nahuatl syllable structure no more complex than that of Spanish. Furthermore, Nahuatl is not alone as a possible influence, as there are currently more than 90 native languages spoken in Mexico and Nahuatl never spread across the entire territory of modern Mexico. == Phonology ==

Consonants Affricates Due to influence from indigenous languages, such as Nahuatl, Mexican Spanish has incorporated many words containing the sequences and , corresponding to the voiceless alveolar affricate and the voiceless alveolar lateral affricate , present in many indigenous languages of Mexico, as in the words ('hardware store') and ('from [the city of] Coatzacoalcos'). Mexican Spanish always pronounces the and in such a sequence in the same syllable, a trait shared with the Spanish of the rest of Latin America, that of the Canary Islands, and the northwest of the Iberian Peninsula, including Bilbao and Galicia. Some claim that in Mexican Spanish, the sequence is really a single phoneme, the same as the lateral affricate of Nahuatl. On the other hand, José Ignacio Hualde and Patricio Carrasco argue that is best analyzed as an onset cluster on the basis that Mexicans take the same amount of time to pronounce as they do to pronounce and . They predicted that if were a single segment, it would have been pronounced quicker than the other clusters. Fricatives In addition to the usual voiceless fricatives of other American Spanish dialects (, , ), Mexican Spanish also has the palatal sibilant , Regarding the pronunciation of the phoneme , the articulation in most of Mexico is velar , as in ('box'). However, in some (but not all) dialects of southern Mexico, the normal articulation is glottal (as it is in most dialects of the Caribbean, the Pacific Coast, the Canary Islands, and most of Andalusia and Extremadura in Spain). All varieties of Mexican Spanish are characterized by : the letters and correspond to the same phoneme, . That phoneme, in most variants of Mexican Spanish, is pronounced as either a palatal fricative or an approximant in most cases, although after a pause it is instead realized as an affricate . In the north and in rural Michoacan, is consistently rendered as an approximant and may even be elided when between vowels and in contact with or , as in 'hen', 'chair', and 'seal'. As in all American dialects of Spanish, Mexican Spanish has seseo, so is not distinguished from . Thus, 'house' and 'hunt' are homophones. Present in most of the interior of Mexico is the preservation, or absence of debuccalization, of syllable-final . On the other hand, -weakening is very frequent on the Pacific and Caribbean coasts, and is also fairly frequent in northern and northwestern Mexico, and in parts of Oaxaca and the Yucatán peninsula. In all these regions, -weakening acts as a sociolinguistic marker, being more prevalent in rural areas and among the lower classes. The prevalence of a weakened syllable-final in so many peripheral areas of Mexico suggests that such weakening was at one point more prevalent in peripheral areas, but that the influence of Mexico City has led to the diffusion of a style of pronunciation without -weakening, especially among the urban middle classes. -weakening on both the Pacific and the Gulf Coast was strengthened by influences from Andalusian, Canarian, and Caribbean Spanish dialects. Also, the dialects spoken in rural Chihuahua, Sonora, and Sinaloa, like that of New Mexico, have developed aspiration of syllable-initial , as in words like 'to pass' and 'sir'. Despite the general lack of s-aspiration in the center of the country, is often elided before or , and the phrase is often pronounced without the first . Stops There is a set of voiced obstruents—, , , and sometimes —which alternate between approximant and plosive allophones depending on the environment. often becomes , especially in more rural speech, such that and may be pronounced as and . In addition, is often assimilated to . Speakers from the Yucatán, especially men or those who are older, often pronounce the voiceless stops with aspiration. Vowels Like most Spanish dialects and varieties, Mexican Spanish has five vowels: close unrounded front , close rounded back , mid unrounded front , mid rounded back , and open unrounded . Mexican Spanish, particularly that of central Mexico, features a high rate of reduction, which can involve shortening and centralization, devoicing, or both, and even elision of unstressed vowels, as in (, 'cooking utensils'). It can be the case that the words , , and are pronounced the same . The vowels are slightly less frequently reduced or eliminated in the constructions + vowel + , so that the words , , and may also be pronounced the same . == Morphology ==

Mexican Spanish does not use voseo outside some parts of Chiapas. The traditional familiar second person plural pronoun —in colloquial use only in Spain—is found in Mexico only in certain archaic texts and ceremonial language. However, since it is used in many Spanish-language Bibles throughout the country, most Mexicans are familiar with the form and understand it. An instance of it is found in the national anthem, which all Mexicans learn to sing: ("Mexicans, at the cry of war / assemble the steel and the bridle"). Mexicans tend to use the polite personal pronoun in the majority of social situations, especially in Northern Mexico. In the north, children even address their parents with . Suffixes Central Mexico is noted for the frequent use of diminutive suffixes with many nouns, adverbs, and adjectives, even where no semantic diminution of size or intensity is implied. Most frequent is the suffix, which replaces the final vowel on words that have one. Words ending with -n use the suffix . Use of the diminutive does not necessarily denote small size, but rather often implies an affectionate attitude; thus one may speak of "" ("a nice, big house"). When the diminutive suffix is applied to an adjective, often a near-equivalent idea can be expressed in English by "nice and [adjective]". So, for example, a mattress () described as might be "nice and soft", while calling it might be heard to mean "too soft". In some regions of Mexico, the diminutive suffix is also used to form affectives to express politeness or submission (, literally "little coffee"; , literally "little head"; "little boy"), and is attached to names (, from ; , from —cf. Eng. ) denoting affection. In the northern parts of the country, the suffix is often replaced in informal situations by (, , , ). Frequent use of the diminutive is found across all socioeconomic classes, but its "excessive" use is commonly associated with lower-class speech. The augmentative suffix is typically used in Mexico to make nouns larger, more powerful, etc. For example, the word , in Mexico, means ; the suffixed form means "big or long bus". It can be repeated just as in the case of the suffixes and ; therefore means . The suffix or and its feminine counterparts and respectively, are used as a disparaging form of a noun; for example, the word , meaning "house", can be modified with that suffix () to change the word's meaning to make it disparaging, and sometimes offensive; so the word often refers to a shanty, hut or hovel. The word ("wood") can take the suffix () to mean "rotten, ugly wood". Other suffixes include, but are not limited to: as in , which refers to a very impressive car () such as a Ferrari or Mercedes-Benz; , for example , meaning "big-nosed" ( = "nose"), or , a female with large feet (). Nicknames It is common to replace with to form diminutives, e.g., → ; → Chema; ("beer") → or , → , ("without molars") → ("toothless"). This is common in, but not exclusive to, Mexican Spanish. == Syntax ==

Typical of Mexican Spanish is an ellipsis of the negative particle in a main clause introduced by an adverbial clause with : • . (Until I took the pill, the pain did not go away.) • (How serious are the damages?) (Compare the form typical of Spain: "" (Is there a lot of damage?)) • (How good a cook are you?) (Compare Spain's "" (Are you a good cook?)) It has been suggested that there is influence of indigenous languages on the syntax of Mexican Spanish (as well as that of other areas in the Americas), manifested, for example, in the redundant use of verbal clitics, particularly . This is more common among bilinguals or in isolated rural areas. can be used colloquially in place of the superlative , as in: • (That type of treatment is really expensive.) Mexican Spanish, like that of many other parts of the Americas, prefers the preposition in expressions of time spans, as in • "" (He was the president of the company for twenty years)—compare the more frequent use of in Spain: "" A more or less recent phenomenon in the speech of central Mexico, having its apparent origin in the State of Mexico, is the use of negation in an unmarked yes/no question. Thus, in place of "" (Would you like...?), there is a tendency to ask "" (Wouldn't you like...?). ==Lexicon==

Mexican Spanish retains a number of words that are considered archaic in Spain. Also, there are a number of words widely used in Mexico which have Nahuatl, Mayan or other native origins, in particular names for flora, fauna and toponyms. Some of these words are used in most, or all, Spanish-speaking countries, like and ("avocado"), and some are only used in Mexico. The latter include "turkey" < Nahuatl (although is also used, as in other Spanish-speaking countries); "kite" < Nahuatl "butterfly"; and "tomato" < Nahuatl . For a more complete list see List of Spanish words of Nahuatl origin. Other expressions that are common in colloquial Mexican Spanish include: • : "soon; in a moment". Literally "right now". E.g. , "As soon as I finish (this)". Considered informal. • : "fight" or "problem". Literally "aggressive woman or girl, or wild female animal". Commonly used among young people. • : "wild, untame". E.g. : "unpasteurized milk". • : "bus" • : darn. • : "brother" or "bro" • : cheap, of bad quality. • (); (); : "a child, teen, or youngster". Also (), (), and are used in northern Mexico. All these terms except are also found in their diminutives: , , , . Considered informal. • : "to check (verify)" • (): "breast(s)". From Nahuatl . Considered informal. • : "cool, attractive, fun, etc." A variant common in the Northwest is , sometimes spelled and pronounced shilo. • : "trash; crap". Considered vulgar. Derived from . • : In northern Mexico, equivalent to the English term gangsta; in the rest of Mexico, equivalent to the Spanish term ("hooligan", "gang member"), which refers to young slum-dwellers living in conditions of extreme poverty, drug dependency, and malnutrition. • : "peach" • : "Just a minute", "Hold on a second", etc. Literally "in a moment". • : "a bratty child" or "squirt". From Nahuatl , "dog". • : a filler word, similar to American English "um, uh". Literally, "this". Also used in other countries. • : The name of the letter X. Coming from the use of X as a variable in math, can be a noun modifier meaning "some", it can mean something is unimportant, or it can be an exclamation, used to show indifference towards the truth value of something previously said. It can also express that something is average, or meh. • : messed-up • : a fair-haired or fair-skinned person. Derived from a term meaning "egg white". • , or : "dude", "guy" (literally, "ox"). As an adjective, "dumb", "asinine", "moronic", etc. Not to be confused with "Huey" from the Aztec title "Huey Tlatoani", in which "Huey" is a term of reverence. • : "to talk with (on the telephone)". Used in place of the standard . • : red tomato, in contrast to tomatillos. • : "manly". Applied to a woman (): "manly" or "skillful". From , male. • : stuck up, arrogant. Considered vulgar. • : dumb, foolish. Euphemistic in nature. • : "a low-class, boorish, foolish, ignorant and/or uneducated person". Pejorative. • : (1) similar to English "Wow!" (2) "Okay". (3) Exclamation of surprised protest. Abbreviated by low-class people in their uneducated variety. May be considered rude. • : used as an adjective to denote something "cool", attractive, good, fun, etc. E.g. , "This music is very cool." Literally, "father". • : "problem" or "fight". Literally "fart". Also, in a greeting, ("What's up, dude?"). As an adjective, "drunk", e.g. , "to be drunk". Also the noun : "a drunken gathering". All forms are considered vulgar for their connection to , "fart". • : "curly hair". Sometimes erroneously thought to be derived from Spanish , "Chinese". == Similar dialects ==

New Mexico Spanish has many similarities with an older version of Mexican Spanish, and can be considered part of a Mexican Spanish "macro-dialect". The small amount of Philippine Spanish has traditionally been influenced by Mexican Spanish, as the colony was initially administered from Mexico City, before being administered directly from Madrid, and had extensive contact via the Manila galleon to Acapulco. Chavacano, a Spanish-based creole language in the Philippines, is based on Mexican Spanish. To outsiders, the accents of nearby Spanish-speaking countries in northern Central America, such as El Salvador and Guatemala, might sound similar to those spoken in Mexico, especially in central and southern Mexico. == Influence of Nahuatl ==

The Spanish of Mexico has had various indigenous languages as a linguistic substrate. Particularly significant has been the influence of Nahuatl, especially in the lexicon. However, while in the vocabulary its influence is undeniable, it is hardly felt in the grammar field. In the lexicon, in addition to the words that originated from Mexico with which the Spanish language has been enriched, such as "tomato", "rubber", "chalk", "chocolate", "coyote", "flask", et cetera; the Spanish of Mexico has many Nahuatlismos that confer a lexical personality of its own. It can happen that the Nahuatl word coexists with the Spanish word, as in the cases of "buddy" and "friend", "turkey" and "turkey", "kid" and "boy", "rope" and "rope", etc. On other occasions, the indigenous word differs slightly from the Spanish, as in the case of , which is another type of sandal; , hardware store, , a stone mortar, etc. Other times, the Nahuatl word has almost completely displaced the Spanish, "owl", "cornflour drink", "straw", "cornfield", "green bean", "shack", "kite", etc. There are many "words of indigenous origin" who designate Mexican realities for which there is no Spanish word; "mesquite", "sapota", "jicama", "ixtle", "mockingbird", "husk", , , "crate", "hotplate", "embroidered blouse", "stone for grinding", etc. The strength of the Nahuatl substrate influence is felt less each day, since there are no new contributions. • Frequently used Nahuatlismos: "avocado", "peanut", "cocoa", "coyote", "buddy", "chapulin", "gum", "chocolate", "bean", "corn", "huachinango", "turkey", "rubber", "tomato", "Mayan (used for people of African descent)", "rope", "cornfield", "corn husk", "kite", "flask" (per suitcase), "goatee", "buzzard." • Moderately frequent Nahuatlismos: "axolotl", "boob" (for female breast), "shack, hut" "youngest child", "owl", "street market", "hardware store", "grass." • Purépechismos or Tarasquismos: "sandal", "poncho", "jerkin", , "bundle of rags" (slang for suit), "salamander", . • Other non-Mexican indigenismos: "flatbread corn", "armchair", "chief, headman", "alligator", "canoe", "coati", "hummingbird", "custard apple", "rags", "guava", "hurricane", "iguana", "jaguar", "crab", "jefen", "parrot", "agave", "corn", "mammee", "peanut", "yam", "rhea", "papaya", "canoe", "puma", "tobacco", " "cassava." The extensive use of diminutives in Mexican Spanish has been cited as an example of Nahuatl influence. The use of the suffix -le to give an emphatic character to the imperative form of verbs has also been attributed to Nahuatl. For example: "jump" > , "eat" > , "go/proceed" > . This suffix is considered to be a crossover of the Spanish indirect object pronoun -le with the Nahua excitable interjections, such as "strain." That the suffix is not in fact an indirect object pronoun can be seen by the fact that it is also used in non-verbal constructions, such as "son" > "damn", "now" > "wow", "what's up?" > "how's it going?", etc. Navarro Ibarra (2009) offers an alternative explanation of -le as an intensifier, claiming that, instead of working as an indirect object pronoun, -le modifies the verb in such a way that the event it indicates "involves the realization of the event itself as an abstract goal". == Influence of English ==

Mexico has a border of more than 2,500 kilometers with the United States, and receives major influxes of American and Canadian tourists every year. More than 63% of the 57 million Latinos in the United States are assumed as of Mexican origin. English is the most studied foreign language in Mexico, and the third most spoken after Spanish and the native languages taken together. Given these circumstances, anglicisms in Mexican Spanish are continuously increasing (as they are also in the rest of the Americas and Spain), including "to film", "baseball", "club", "cocktail", "leader", "check", "sandwich", etc. Mexican Spanish also uses other anglicisms that are not used in all Spanish-speaking countries, including , , , , "to check", "folder", "overalls", "referee", "lunch bag", "closet", "maple syrup", , etc. English influence, at least in border cities, may result in lower use of the subjunctive, as indicated by a study finding that, among residents of Reynosa, greater contact with the American side correlated with lower use of the subjunctive. This parallels a greater reduction in the use of the subjunctive among Mexican-Americans. The center of Hispanic Linguistics of UNAM carried out a number of surveys in the project of coordinated study of the cultured linguistic norms of major cities of Ibero-America and of the Iberian Peninsula. The total number of anglicisms was about 4% among Mexican speakers of urban norms. However, this figure includes anglicisms that permeated general Spanish long ago and which are not particular to Mexico, such as buffete, "nylon", hockey, , "rum", "railroad car", "buffer", and others. The results of this research are summarized as follows: • Nouns are more likely to be loaned from English than other parts of speech. • Anglicisms in general use: O.K. (), "(beef) steak", bye (), "checkbook", "click", "basketball", "baseball bat", "baseball", "boxing", "horn", clip, "closet", clutch, "cocktail", or shampoo (), "check", DJ (, disk jockey), romance, smoking or , "express", football (), "goal", hit, (homerun), jeep, jet, van, or knockout, "leader", or nylon, "overalls", "poundcake", "pie", "pudding", baby shower, rating or , "reverse", (rim), round (), set, shorts, show, strike ( or ), "sweater", pants, (tennis shoes), thinner, "super market", "folder", or tennis, "volleyball", vallet parking, and or whisk(e)y. • Frequent Anglicisms: bar, (for Bermuda shorts), "beer", sport (type of clothing), switch. • Moderately used Anglicisms: barman "waiter", King/Queen size, grill, manager, penthouse, pullman, strapless, or zipper. Some examples of syntactic anglicisms, which coexist with the common variants, are: • Using the verb apply/applying. (, I applied to that university, instead of , I applied to this university) • Using the verb to assume with suppose. (, I assume he is going to the party, instead of , I guess he will go to the party) • Using the verb access with access to. (, Access our website, instead of , Access our website). == See also ==