Hello, my dear Read.cashers ! I hope life smiles on you today!
This is my entry for this week's Prompt, Language. Many of you have approached the subject by talking about the different types of language. Several have spoken of the language of love from different perspectives. And I think this particular kind of language has been covered quite a bit and in a very creative way around here.
Another way of approaching the subject that caught my attention was that of @Cineholic. In his article, he questions that the national education system of his country has adopted English as an official language to replace his mother tongue. And about the feeling of frustration that this causes him. This is the article Education In National Language!
And that left me pondering. Pride in our native language is something we shouldn't negotiate. I love learning other languages. I greatly appreciate having been able to study English as a second language since I was little. And I think that being able to learn a second language is a competitive advantage today. But I'm completely and absolutely proud of my mother tongue, Spanish. Our language is part of our identity, of who we are, of our culture. So I will focus my article on why I proudly say. Yo hablo Español.
Some facts about Spanish that can be read on the internet. Source 1 and Source 2 are
It's the fourth most widely spoken language in the world, after Mandarin Chinese, English, and Hindi.
It's the second language as mother tongue, after Mandarin Chinese.
It's the native language in more than twenty countries.
The country with more Spanish speakers is Mexico, followed by the United States, and it's expected that by 2060, the United States will be the country with the most people who speak Spanish.
It's the third most used language on the internet, after English and Chinese.
But the things that make me fall in love with Spanish are different. In addition to the pride that is the language I grew up with, the one I speak every day. I like,
Its different shades and expressions according to the Spanish-speaking country. What differentiates us in the way we speak and in the expressions we say. I find it fascinating how many words in Spanish can mean the same thing. Some examples are. It's not the same to order a beer (cerveza), in Spain una caña than in Mexico una chela, or in Argentina and Venezuela una birra. Refer to a friend or colleague in Spain tío, pibe in Argentina, cuáte in Mexico, and pana in Venezuela. Each country has its own idiom for everything. Some can even get us into somewhat embarrassing situations. For example, here in Venezuela, speaking colloquially, people say Estoy arrecho to say that they are angry or upset. But that same expression, in other countries as Colombia, means being sexually aroused, which Spaniards would say as being Cachondos (horny).
Literature in Spanish is extensive, and we have many Nobel Prize winners for literature in our language. I couldn't imagine reading Cien Años de Soledad (One Hundred Years of Solitude) or any other book by García Márquez in a language other than Spanish. Or a poem by Rubén Dario in another language.
La princesa está triste... ¿qué tendrá la princesa?
Los suspiros se escapan de su boca de fresa,
que ha perdido la risa, que ha perdido el color.
La princesa está pálida en su silla de oro,
está mudo el teclado de su clave de oro;
y en un vaso olvidado se desmaya una flor.Extract of Sonatina by Ruben Darío
Also as in other languages, we have at least one word that doesn't have an exact translation in other languages, and it's Sobremesa. And I don't know about you, but I love a Sobremesa, that of stay sitting at the table after a copious meal, drinking coffee or maybe some liquor, or just chatting. That in Spanish is a Sobremesa.
Of course, I cannot fail to mention a few of all the idioms only we Venezuelans use. Some use a bit of rude language.
To say we don't have money or we are broke. Estoy pelando or Estoy pelando bola.
When a boy is flirting with a girl. Le echa los perros.
To strive to achieve something. Echarle pichón or Echarle bolas.
Having a few drinks. Echarse los palos.Asking someone to give you a ride. Or hitchhike. Pedir la cola.
When something is annoying. Or it's a pain in the ass. ¡Qué ladilla!
To finish, and as many approached the subject of the language of love. One of the things I like about Spanish is that to say I love you. We can make distinctions because we have two expressions to say the same. Te quiero, I used it with my extended family and my friends. Te amo, I only use it with my closest ones.
I know that among my readers, there are some Venezuelans. But most are from non-Spanish-speaking countries. Do any of you speak Spanish?
To participate in the Writing Prompt. You can read Jonica's article on Writing prompt #13 : Language. And rules are simple:
Write about Language
Write 100% original content
Write at least 600 words
Submit your article to the community PromptlyJonica
Have fun!
My previous articles on the prompts:
P1- Freedom - What does Freedom mean to me?
P2 - Motivation - Why I'm using cryptos? - my motivations
P4 - Darkness - Five days in the darkness
P5- Questions - Too many questions
P8- Nature - A glimpse of nature in my tropical land
P9- Success - Success is not Final
P11- Labels - Labels and distortions
To you, my dear readers, thank you so much!
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Images credits in the caption. All writings are my own unless anything different is stated. Copyright CoquiCoin 2021.
Until next time! ;)
August 18, 2021
Amé este artículo, muy necesario.