Argentish

Argentish, more commonly known as Argentine English, is the name given to the dialect of the English language spoken in Argentina. Despite having Spanish as its official language, Argentina has historically been subject to considerable influence from other non-Spanish languages like Italian, English, French and German, as a result of mass 19th and 20th century immigration from different regions of Europe, which have shaped Argentine society into a melting pot of different nationalities, not unlike what happened in the United States or Canada.

In addition, English has an enormous cultural influence as a world language. In fact, International English is the most-spoken second language in the world. As a result, there are some words, phrases and expressions that Argentine English speakers use by adapting English vocabulary to their society, thus using English as a vernacular reflection of world integration.

Argentina may have some 100,000 native English speakers, giving the country one of the highest ratios of native English speakers within a non-English country. Additionally, according to an official cultural consumption survey conducted in 2006, 42.3% of Argentinians claim to know some English (though only 15.4% of those claimed to have a high level of English comprehension). This is probably due to the country's high literacy rate and high proportion of university students, the highest in Latin America and on par with other developed countries, which is an important factor in furthering the spread and acquisition of non-native languages.

Historical links

Although having a historical antagonism with Britain, and in spite of the sentiments of independence that elicited the same feelings again in the more recent Falkland-Malvinas skirmish at the beginning of the 1980s, the cultural Anglo-Argentine links are yet strong. British influence through commerce and investments in "the Argentine" were essential to the economic flourishing of the southern country during the late 19th century, accompanied by the growing presence of English immigration to the country in the 19th and 20th centuries.

Argentine English expressions

bomb: Perturbing news about trivial rag tags or social gossips. “Hey pals, I've a bomb!: Carolina is pregnant without being married!”

BA : Acronym that refers to the city of Buenos Aires.

by love to the art: To work without receiving a pay or doing something simply due to the passion that it brings.

Castilian: As is referred to the Spanish language in Argentina.
The Argentinians refer to Spanish as Castilian as a symbol of cultural independence of Spain. This categorization is correct, considering that the language has its origins in the Spanish province of Castille, and because of the fact that in Spain many other languages are spoken, including Basque, Galician, Catalan and others.

collective: From Spanish colectivo, It's an interurban bus, they usually have a colorful designs on their chassis.

collective line: The name given to the urban bus lines that are common throughout the country, from B.A city, Cordoba, Rosario, Mendoza, Tucuman, and all other important cities of Argentina.

disappeared: Vanished person from the Argentine dictatorship era or dirty war stage, their status is unknown and presumably dead.

fernet: Argentina’s national cocktail. A century ago Italian immigrants poured into Argentina looking for a new start, their heads full of dreams and their arms full of a medicine-smelling Italian liqueur. It was called fernet, a bitter digestive that old men sipped after a big meal or gave to children with upset stomachs. Eventually it turned into a popular brew for youths, who often drink it mixed with Coca-Cola.

fried cake: Not a very healthy preparation, this traditional snack is a saucer-shaped and fritted mass compounded with flour generally made for those farmhand gauchos and usually eaten with cooked mate. It spurred the common saying It's a fried cake day, referring to a rainy one.

July the 9th: The Independence day.

football: Alluding to football, the most popular sport in Argentina.

Hooky day: From Spanish dia de la chupina.

Malvinas War: Referred to the Argentine-British skirmish around the south atlantic archipelgoes in 1982.

May the 25th : The May's Revolution day.

May square: From Spanish Plaza de Mayo One of the most important and historic squares in Argentina, located in the city of Buenos Aires.

micro: Long and middle distance bus.

Noel daddy: Santa Claus.

National University: System of state-run institutions pertaining to the thirty-eight national universities distributed throughout the country, and the Technological National University system with a branch on every region. These college programs are completely provided for free by the state only for Argentine citizens and a few quota for those outstanding foreign students at least up to the undergraduate level completion.

plated: Something made up of silver or silvered.

picketeer: Striking workers that block roads as a way of protest against the government.

Pink House: The national government house and official seat of the executive power, famous for its balcony.

peronist: People pertaining to the Justicialist Party, historic political party of Argentina.

portenian: People that live in B. A. city are given this demonym, based on the historic importance of the port to the commercial life and economy of the River Plate area, since the times of the Viceroyalty of the River Plate up to this day.

River Plate: From Spanish Rio de la Plata, the English name "River Plate" is not, in fact, a mistranslation, as "plate" was used extensively as a noun for "silver" or "gold" from the 12th century onwards, especially in Early Modern English and the estuary has been known as the River Plate or Plate River in English since at least the time of Francis Drake. A modern translation of the Spanish Río de la Plata is "Silver River", referring not to colour but to the riches of the fabled Sierra del Plata thought to lie upstream. Additionally, this is the name of one of the most important Argentine football clubs, the other being its arch-rival, Boca Juniors.

Rugbier: Rugby Player.

russian mountain: Roller coaster; rough translation from castilian montaña rusa.

sock sucker: From Spanishchupa medias, meaning an extremely flattering and submissive person, for instance the expression he sucks his chief's socks.

sweet-bread christmas bread : Referring to a Christmas bread popular in the country, from Italian tradition, which usually has dried grape, nuts, chignuts and dehydrated fruits in it.

The uncle's tale or the uncle's scam: Similar or related to the “good samaritan” scam.

temperature sensation: Measure of temperature that has a connection with the humidity level, and its effect on the feeling and heaviness of sensation, from here comes the phrase “It's not the temperature is the humidity”.

Sayings and Phrases

There are a lots of sayings and phrases in Argentine English gathered from Argentine-Castilian lexicons:

"A dog that barks all the time gets little attention."

"A man who develops himself is born twice."

"Children's love is like water in a basket."

“It's not the gay coat that makes the gentleman”

"If you have a tail of straw, then keep away from the fire."

“It's not the fault of the pig, but of the one who scratches his back”. or “It's not the hog's blame instead of whom fed it.”

“It's not the temperature, it's the humidity”.

“little town, big hell”.

"No woman can make a wise man out of a fool, but every woman can change a wise man into a fool".

"The one who loves you will make you weep."

"Three daughters and a mother are four devils for a father."

Intonation
Adapted from the English language to Argentine reality by Castilian-English speakers, the spoken Argentish has a slight Italian intonation. According to recent sociological studies, the Spanish spoken by portenian people is also spoken with a Napolitan intonation.

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