Miami: When Spanish replaces English

In Miami, you can hear Spanish being spoken on every street corner: the presence of hundreds of thousands of people from Latin America makes the South Florida metropolis a center of Latin culture. But this influence goes beyond that. It changes the usage of English which takes a new form under the influence of Cervantes language.

According to a study conducted by Professor Philip Carter, an expert in linguistics and English at Miami International University (FIU), the official language of the United States has a life of its own in Florida, where purely Spanish expressions are translated and incorporated. directly into everyday language. Thus, if English is favourable “get out of the car”It’s not unusual to hear that in Miami “get out of the car”Words more specific to Spanish, such as “Lamplighter” is taking “light the lamp”. Similarly, in the queues in Miami, one hears a Latin-inspired phrase “stand in line”Instead of the English formula “Get in line”. And we are “a party” Instead of the traditional English formula we prefer “a party”. The result of this assimilation is a certain English that may seem strange to Americans from other states.

Read moreAre you unbeatable with these words and expressions from Quebec?

Literary translations are the classic result of immigrants using a new language by learning their host country, but they tend to disappear with the following generations. But her study, based on interviews with residents rooted in Latin America, highlights that in South Florida, these translations continue over time. “We were surprised to find that these exposures did not disappear with the next generation.”The professor insists. “They are transmitted to children and grandchildren. Not all of them survive, but a number do. For this reason, we consider this variation as a dialect, which was learned by a native speaker and includes these forms of Spanish origin.

“Spanglish”, the fruit of a particular culture.

In Miami-Dade County, which includes the city of Miami, 69.1% of the population is Spanish-speaking, according to the most recent Census, which includes ethnic data in the United States. The coexistence of English and Spanish is a daily reality for most of its population. The phenomenon has its roots in the massive influx of Cuban refugees after the 1959 revolution, and has been reinforced by immigrant movements from countries such as Colombia and Venezuela.

This proximity between the two languages, the constant switching from one to the other, sometimes in the same sentence, “Spanglish”Mixed Spanish with literal translations of English idioms and English expressions, it is spoken in various parts of the United States. “There is no language that is not influenced by another language, this is a common feature of all languages ​​in the world”Philip Carter recalls, “When two languages ​​are spoken by the majority of the population, it creates very interesting linguistic exchanges”.

According to Ody Feinberg, 62 and an account manager for French brand Louis Vuitton in Miami, the results of the FIU study were not surprising: “We see it every day, customers start speaking in English, then see me speak Spanish, then mix the two and continue, it’s really funny”. “Coming here, you discover not only different cultures, but also a certain culture, which is the fruit of all these people of different origin, together and together to create something new”Camilo Mejia, 47, works at an NGO and considers Miami a symbol of cultural diversity.