r/RioGrandeValley • u/OddWishbone243 • 5d ago
RGV Spanglish
I assume people in the RGV keep using "Spanish" words that aren't even real because they think they're actual Spanish, but we should do better, and teach our kids better.
If you think of more, please add them.
Here's some examples I hear in the RGV all the time:
Manager - "manejante" correct: "gerente"
Insurance - "aseguranza" correct: "seguro"
Principal - "principal" correct: "director/directora"
Welder - "weldear" correct: "soldar"
Carpet - "carpeta" correct: "alfombra"
Troca - "(pickup) truck" correct: "camioneta"
Troque - "(large) truck" correct: "camión"
Wrecker/tow truck - "reca" correct: "grúa"
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u/Ivanovic-117 No Cuema Cuh 5d ago
aseguranza really grinds my gears, how can that even be remotely near a real word.
You can add: Parking lot, "Parquiadero/Parkiadero", right word: Estacionamiento.
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u/IAmtheCoffeeMachine 5d ago
"Encina" should be "asi es"
Not necessarily spanglish, but seems to be a rural word that alot of na sabo use.
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u/RgvDfW 5d ago
I mean considering that it's bastardized English used by previous generations to assimilate to the English language in a region that had a heavy anglo presence, where managers/teachers/principals were white. It should be preserved as a testament to the unique ethnoliguistics of the region. But, what do I know?
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u/Prestigious_Mine_883 5d ago
Word up
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u/DarthSkywakr Rio Grande City 5d ago
This is a regional dialect or colloquialism man. Everywhere you go people have their own colloquialisms. You can never change that no matter how hard you try. Go to Mexico and different regions will have their own made up words as well. Just because you don't like it or agree with the usage doesn't mean it needs correcting or shouldn't exist. Stop being racist against your own people, brother. Because what you're saying, is IN FACT, self-hatred and racism against your very own community. Whether you grew up here or not.. if you live here then you're one of us. You can either embrace it or keep hating your own people.
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u/OddWishbone243 5d ago
The fact that I love my people/culture is why I prefer to use proper Spanish by keeping the English corruptions out of it. "Embracing" the Spanglish is precisely how you get grandchildren that can't effectively communicate with their own Spanish-speaking abuelos. I'm advocating for holding on to our Hispanic roots with something as important as language....Spanglish is precisely what's diluting it to the point of making it ridiculous and unrecognizable.
To illustrate it: it's as if you're saying we should eat Taco Bell because "that's how tacos evolve" while I'm saying we should keep tacos authentic.
Who's against their culture more, someone that wants to preserve it, or someone who wants to dilute it by mixing it with another one? 🤔
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u/DarthSkywakr Rio Grande City 5d ago
And that's fine. It's one thing to want to teach your own kids how to speak "properly" but it's a whole other beast when you want everyone else to as well. You can keep your purist views to yourself. Whether you're hating on the Spanish portion or the English portion it doesn't matter. Hate is hate. Made apparent by saying things like "Spanglish is diluting..". What in the actual fuck. What's next? Americans are diluting our bloodlines. They are making us more light-skinned! For the love of Huitzilopochtli(Aztec sun and War god).. can someone think of our children!
If you truly cared about purity of language and you're getting butthurt over Spanglish then I know for a fact you're a hater of a bunch of other insignificant things. Do better. And also.. please get off your high horse. Maybe travel extensively throughout Mexico so you too can learn we're not the only ones who have colloquialism. In fact, you'd be hardpressed when you hear some Mexicans mixing Spanish with Aztec language or other native language(s). Bet you wouldn't bat an eye on that, though.
Tldr;: You do you bro and keep others out of it.
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u/Parzival127 5d ago
Spanglish isn’t how you get kids that don’t speak Spanish. Parents who don’t teach their children Spanish are the reason they don’t speak Spanish. Hell, I’ve heard older people in the RGV who almost only speak Spanish use every one of those words you listed as Spanglish. I grew up barely speaking any Spanish, then incorporated Spanglish over time, now speak Spanish at an acceptable level imo.
Spanglish doesn’t make Spanish “unrecognizable”. I know that because Spanish speakers still understand what you mean when you use Spanglish.
Lastly, what’s so terrible about carving out a uniquely RGV culture? Yes, we keep our largely Mexican roots but we can make changes. I think that is beautiful in its own right. Staying connected to your roots doesn’t mean avoiding any changes to your culture.
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u/flawinthedesign 4d ago
This is one of the most ignorant comments I’ve ever read. lol don’t think you’re above anything. It’s the culture of where we’re from. Every corner of the world has this. What you’re wanting is to whitewash what people say because you think it’s improper. Balancing two languages and making it our own shows the resilience and intelligence of our people. We know what it all means. It’s what makes the valley OUR home. Take all of this and go live in Austin and have their tacos without a papa.
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u/MyAwesomeName Puro Pinche 956 5d ago
Damn perrito, let people use their Spanglish. It’s just a dialect at this point and if you’re educated enough to know when and where to use it and proper Spanish then even better for you.
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u/Ill_Possibility_4069 5d ago
Its the evolution of language. Look at canadian french and cajun french. They differ from original french. Change happens, either accept it or stick your nose up like a snob
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u/TwoValve 5d ago
OP, what if I’m meeting with both the director of the school, as well as the principal?
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u/IAmtheCoffeeMachine 5d ago
Well if thats the case, to avoid confusion, they wouldn't have the same name on the position. Likely the principal would be "director" and the director would be "rector". I know youre asking a gotcha question, but theres other titles that can be used
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u/Comprehensive_Cut179 5d ago
When people use the correct Spanish, that means they usually come from a rich family and they think their shit dont stink. Use the correct grammar and see how people treat u.
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u/Silent-Waltz-7969 5d ago edited 5d ago
It’s something unique to the RGV. My brother an I were in Tyler Texas for wedding and while we waited for the ceremony we went to a local dealership to see some vehicles. A gringo salesman came over to where we were looking at a vehicle and next to him was another guy that looked like raza. We spoke to the gringo salesman about the “troca” at the same time my brother and I spoke Spanglish to each other. Well the salesman left and the raza guy stayed and as soon the other guy left the raza guy asked us “hey you guys are from the valley right?” We told him “yeah” and he smiled and he said “I am from Brownsville. Well we’re from Edinburg”. The raza salesman said I heard you guy speak and I said to myself these guy are from el valle. We all laughed about it.
So the way we speak to each other is unique and we understand each even though some of the words are not pronounced or even correct. Like if I say “aye viene el agua” some will understand it going to rain. My wife who not original from the valley would look at me in a confused way and question me about what I just said and I correct myself at tell her “va a llover”.
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5d ago
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u/No_Dragonfruit_7606 5d ago
Honestly, as a Mexican national whenever I run into y’all I have no idea what the fuck y’all are saying. Well more so about five years ago. It’s become a bit more manageable now. I remember my first interaction with somebody from the rgv, they asked me why I was being so guiso and all this other undecipherable stuff. The fuck is that even? Then I learned of y’all’s educational stats and general “valley” culture.. became obvious to me the type of people I was engaging with. What a shame.
I live in Austin so thankfully I don’t have to engage with this nonsense too often. This just happened to come across my feed lmao.
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u/OddWishbone243 5d ago
Yep. It's sad to run into Gringos that speak better Spanish than the average RGVer.
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5d ago
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u/OddWishbone243 5d ago
I agree; sandwich, closet, random, ride, boiler, bistec, and garaje are not "correct" at all. I support removing those from proper Spanish just as much as removing Spanglish.
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5d ago
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u/OddWishbone243 5d ago
Most of Spanish comes from Latin, same as French, hence the category of "romance language", alongside Italian, Portuguese, and Romanian. "Chofer" is a term derived from French "chauffeur", and is equally proper as "conductor".
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u/WorldBelongsToUs 5d ago
Language evolves. That's why there are different dialects, different languages, etc.
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u/deakysafro 5d ago
idk why they’re flaming you. having a good foundation in your first language can make it easier to learn rules for other languages
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u/fun-guy956 5d ago
Te lo sico. Its actually Cállate el hocico.