Is Mexican Spanish and Spanish spanish compared to ich other the same as British English and American English are or are they closer? And Quebec French and French French what about them?
Spanish
Yes somehow yes.
Si de alguna manera si, pero a pesar de sus diferencias podemos entendernos perfectamente unos a otros.
Si de alguna manera si, pero a pesar de sus diferencias podemos entendernos perfectamente unos a otros.
There are more differences between Mexican Spanish and Castillian (European) Spanish than there are between British and American English; at least as spoken by the campesino poulation of Mexico. The differences are not only in accent, pronunciation and syntax but even a sizeable portion of the lexicon (vocabulary). For example, a waiter and a waitress are called camarero and camarera in Spain but mesero and mesera in Mexico, a word based on 'mesa' (table). An Indian-derived word 'chango' or 'changuito' is used for "monkey" instead of the standard Spanish 'mono'. Mexican Spanish shares one feature in common with the Asturian dialect of Spanish in its use of 'colorado (or colorao)' as a generic term for "red." In standard Spanish 'rojo' is the word for "red" while 'colorado' means an "orangey red."
The differences between Canadian French and European French compare more favorably to those between British and American English. Like American English, it preserves a few older words no longer used in the mother country: compare Canadian French taverne, American English tavern with the newer Parisian French bistro and British English pub.
The differences between Canadian French and European French compare more favorably to those between British and American English. Like American English, it preserves a few older words no longer used in the mother country: compare Canadian French taverne, American English tavern with the newer Parisian French bistro and British English pub.
In varying degrees there are other varieties of Spanish that very from Mexican or Castilian Spanish. From experiences, I know in coastal carribean Spanish (ie: Coastal sections of Colombia, Venezuela, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, and Panama) words such as changuito, and mesero are not used. I've heard the word Garcon (gahr- sohn) used instead of mesero. A tendency to pronounce words with "ll" or "y" as a "dj" sound such as in the phrase "llama me" ( pronounced either "Djama may" or "jama meh" just like in the english "j". In Panama the word "Pelao" is used to mean child and "fula" for either "blond" or "blond girl."
Brennus sez
>>There are more differences between Mexican Spanish and Castillian (European) Spanish than there are between British and American English<<
The reason why that "may" be the case is because the USA is a superpower and thus it's variety of English it's imported all over the world and inevitably influences the vocabulary of the rest of English speaking world whether they like or not. Something that cannot be said of the Spanish speaking world which has no outright leader. Spain maybe a "wealthy" 1st world nation (that in itself is not sufficient )but it is certainly no "superpower" for its culture to imported and succesfully influence other spanish-speaking countries around the world like the US does.
Brennu sez:
An Indian-derived word
You mean Aztec/Maya/Native American? "Indian" has disparaging connotations in Latin America and it's commonly associated with savagery, stupity etc...
This is an excellent thread on another forum and I agree with everything this fellow from Argentian has to say:
http://forum.wordreference.com/showthread.php?t=25086
Sergio11 sez:
Those differences may be more confusing for foreigners trying to learn Spanish, but natives have no problem, especially if they have received a school education.
An American trying to find his way into Spanish may find it difficult to figure out the "tú" and the "vosotros", but for a native Spanish speaker there is absolutely no reason to skip "vosotros", since he has studied it in school and reads it every day in books.
The only things you have to avoid are slangs and obvious regionalisms, especially all the Aztec, Mayan and other local indigenous words, which to a greater or lesser degree you will find all along Central and South America and are understood only in a small region of the particular country in question. Not even everybody in that country will understand those words.
We have debated this issue at length in several other threads of this forum, and probably people still remember me as the crazy, hard-headed, stubborn and unreasonable guy that says all Spanish is the same while everybody else tells me it is not. However, in this thread, most people seem to agree with me: Congratulations, everyone! And congratulations to me, too, because finally I don't sound like a lunatic!
One more issue to take into account is what is the subject matter of this Website. If this is going to be a Website about foods, recipes, and the like, you are not going to find two countries that have the same names for their fruits, vegetables and meat cuts. If it is about philosophy or nuclear physics, you will not find any difference. What will its content be?
>>There are more differences between Mexican Spanish and Castillian (European) Spanish than there are between British and American English<<
The reason why that "may" be the case is because the USA is a superpower and thus it's variety of English it's imported all over the world and inevitably influences the vocabulary of the rest of English speaking world whether they like or not. Something that cannot be said of the Spanish speaking world which has no outright leader. Spain maybe a "wealthy" 1st world nation (that in itself is not sufficient )but it is certainly no "superpower" for its culture to imported and succesfully influence other spanish-speaking countries around the world like the US does.
Brennu sez:
An Indian-derived word
You mean Aztec/Maya/Native American? "Indian" has disparaging connotations in Latin America and it's commonly associated with savagery, stupity etc...
This is an excellent thread on another forum and I agree with everything this fellow from Argentian has to say:
http://forum.wordreference.com/showthread.php?t=25086
Sergio11 sez:
Those differences may be more confusing for foreigners trying to learn Spanish, but natives have no problem, especially if they have received a school education.
An American trying to find his way into Spanish may find it difficult to figure out the "tú" and the "vosotros", but for a native Spanish speaker there is absolutely no reason to skip "vosotros", since he has studied it in school and reads it every day in books.
The only things you have to avoid are slangs and obvious regionalisms, especially all the Aztec, Mayan and other local indigenous words, which to a greater or lesser degree you will find all along Central and South America and are understood only in a small region of the particular country in question. Not even everybody in that country will understand those words.
We have debated this issue at length in several other threads of this forum, and probably people still remember me as the crazy, hard-headed, stubborn and unreasonable guy that says all Spanish is the same while everybody else tells me it is not. However, in this thread, most people seem to agree with me: Congratulations, everyone! And congratulations to me, too, because finally I don't sound like a lunatic!
One more issue to take into account is what is the subject matter of this Website. If this is going to be a Website about foods, recipes, and the like, you are not going to find two countries that have the same names for their fruits, vegetables and meat cuts. If it is about philosophy or nuclear physics, you will not find any difference. What will its content be?
Irregular visitor,
I pretty much agree with everything you say but used the word "Indian" because more of my readers will recognize it to Nahuatl, even Aztec, these days. "Indian" has somewhat of a negative connotation in the United States too but you can't let things like that bother you. "Irish" has some bad connotations too not only in England but in Continental Europe and the more Anglo-Saxon Protestant parts of the United States but am I to stop using "Irish" because of it?
I pretty much agree with everything you say but used the word "Indian" because more of my readers will recognize it to Nahuatl, even Aztec, these days. "Indian" has somewhat of a negative connotation in the United States too but you can't let things like that bother you. "Irish" has some bad connotations too not only in England but in Continental Europe and the more Anglo-Saxon Protestant parts of the United States but am I to stop using "Irish" because of it?
In Which countries Irish has a bad connotation in continental Europe? In France it does not have any.
The Irish men have a bit of a reputation as alcoholists here,but nothing more...
=>so which is the country where irish has a i bad connotation in Europe? <=
North Ireland ... Anyone?
North Ireland ... Anyone?
I don't see anywhere else, and even in North Ireland they are also irish...