subject: Spanish In The Dominican Republic [print this page] The language of the Dominican Republic is a very fast spoken Spanish. I have known of Spanish speakers from other Latin countries who struggled trying to understand the Spanish spoken in the Dominican Republic largely because it is spoken so quickly.
Elements are Shared with the Caribbean
The Spanish spoken in the Dominican Republic is considered multi-layered. The Dominicans share some common elements of their Spanish with the Caribbean while keeping for themselves their own distinctive features. There is a wide variety of regional accents. Experts have stated that the accents derived from the Andalusian strain of Spanish.
African Influences
There is clear African influence in the Dominican Republic which contributes some of its own characteristics to Spanish. A number of words can be traced back to African Languages. The legacy of now extinct tribe of Tainos on the island has also influenced many words which the Dominicans use.
The Tainos'
Many words reflect the Tainos' beliefs and lifestyle. Numerous places in the Dominican Republic date back to times before the island was discovered by Columbus.
English is not the Main Language in the Dominican Republic
English is spoken in the Dominican Republic but it is not the most popular language and you should not expect it to be by any means. It is always useful to be able to say at least a few phrases in Spanish.
Foods are Adapted from English Influences
Some of the local foods have their names adapted from English. These may not be entirely obvious at first hearing because of the accent but if you pay attention you will notice obvious English influence.
Spanish Influence
The Spanish influence came primarily from the Canary Islands and Galicia Islands which are the regions in Spain. The immigrants who came over from Spain brought their languages with them. A number of words can may be seen as archaic in Spain but are still being utilized in the Dominican Republic.
by: Angie Tysseland
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