Chicano English is a dialect of American English used by Chicanos. One major variation of Chicano English is Tejano English, used mainly in south Texas. It is mistakenly referred to as Spanglish, which is not a recognized dialect of English but rather a mixing of Spanish and English.
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Chicano English Phonological Features
Chicano English does have many features, especially in the phonology that shows the influence of Spanish.
Consonants variations
- The devoicing of [z] in all environments: Examples: [isi] for "easy"; [wʌs/was] for "was".
- The devoicing of [v] in word-final position: Examples: [lʌf] for "love"; [hɛf] for "have"; [waifs] for "wives"; and [laifs] for "lives".
- Chicano speakers may realize the "v" as a "b": Examples: "Live" [lib], "invite"[inbait].
- They pronounce TH as a single D or T/S/F, so "that" is pronounced [dɛt] and "think" may be pronounced [tink], [fink] or [sink].
- The realization of Y for J[dʒ] and the realization of J for Y, so:
"Joking" is [Yoʊkin], "You" is [dʒu], "Jet" is [yɛt], "Just" is [yʌs] and, "Yet" is [dʒɛt].
- M at the end of a words becomes [n] or [ŋ], so Welcome is [wɛlcʌn] or [wɛlcʌŋ].
- Words with a G sounding like [dʒ] are pronounced like [ʒ], so:
"Change" is [ʃeinʒ].
- /tʃ/ merges with /ʃ/.
So sheep and cheap are pronounced like [ʃip].
- R is pronounced as a flap, so ready is [ɾɛɾi]
Vowels variations
- Chicano English speakers merge æ and ɛ,
So man and men are homophonous as men.
- ɪ and i mergers into [i].
So ship and sheep are pronounced like the latter.
Final consonant deletion
The rules of Spanish allow only [n], [l], [s], [r], and [y] to occur at the end of words. All other single consonants in English would thus be unfamiliar to Chicano English speakers in this environment.
"Most" becomes "mos"; "Felt" becomes "fell", "Start"becomes"star".
Well-known speakers of Chicano English
See also
References
- Bayley, Robert; & Santa Ana, Otto. (2004). Chicano English grammar. In B. Kortmann, E. W. Schneider, K. Burridge, R. Mesthrie, & C. Upton (Eds.), A handbook of varieties of English: Morphology and syntax (Vol. 2, pp. 167-183). Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter.
- Briggs, Charles L. Competence in Performance: The Creativity of Tradition in Mexicano Verbal Art. University of Pennsylvania Press conduct and communication series. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, (1988).
- Castaneda, L. V. and Ulanoff, S. H. (2007). Examining Chicano English at school. In C. Gitsaki (Ed.). Language and Languages: Global and Local Tensions, (pp. 328-345). Newcastle, UK: Cambridge Scholars Publishing.
- Fought, Carmen. (2003). Chicano English in context. New York: Palgrave Macmillan.
- Galindo, Letticia D. (1987). Linguistic influence and variation of the English of Chicano adolescents in Austin, Texas. (PhD dissertation, University of Texas at Austin).
- Liu, Jennifer Anchor dissects American English Stanford Daily, February 23, 2005
- Ornstein-Galicia, J. (1988). Form and Function in Chicano English. Rowley, Mass.: Newbury House Publishers.
- Penfield, Joyce. Chicano English: An Ethnic Contact Dialect. Varieties of English around the world, General series; v. 7. Amsterdam; Philadelphia: J. Benjamins Pub. Co., (1985).
- Sanchez, Rosaura. Chicano Discourse: Sociohistoric Perspectives. Rowley, Mass.: Newbury House Publishers, (1983).
- Santa Ana, Otto. (1993). Chicano English and the Chicano language setting. Hispanic Journal of Behavioral Sciences, 15 (1), 1-35.
- Santa Ana, Otto; & Bayley, Robert. (2004). Chicano English phonology. In E. W. Schneider, B. Kortmann, K. Burridge, R. Mesthrie, & C. Upton (Eds.), A handbook of varieties of English: Phonology (Vol. 1, pp. 407-424). Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter.
- Veatch, Thomas Los Angeles Chicano English (2005)
- Wolfram, Walt. (1974). Sociolinguistic aspects of assimilation: Puerto Rican English in New York City. Washington, D.C.: Center for Applied Linguistics.
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