A distinct new dialect has been emerging in certain pockets of Miami in recent times as a result of cultural intermingling between Spanish and English speakers.
The new parlance is a Spanish-influenced dialect of English being spoken in Southern Florida, a lingo-infusion born out of decades of immigration from Spanish-speaking countries, most notably Cuba since the end of the revolution in 1959.
With its majority Hispanic and Latino population, Miami is considered one of the most bilingual cities in the US and it’s also arguably the most dialectally diverse Spanish-speaking city in the world.
Over recent decades, the rich influence of the Spanish language has intermingled with more established American English dialects, giving rise to its own expressions and phrases.
Linguists at Florida International University in Miami have been keeping an eye on this linguistic development over the past 10 years or so and believe it shows a beautiful example of how human languages are constantly shape-shifting in the face of historical and social conditions.
“All words, dialects, and languages have a history,” Professor Phillip M. Carter, Director of the Center for Humanities in an Urban Environment at the Florida International University, told IFLScience.
“In Miami, there are many ways of speaking English. The variety we have been studying for the past 10 years or so is the main language variety of people born in South Florida in Latinx-majority communities.
Linguists at Florida International University in Miami have been keeping an eye on this linguistic development over the past 10 years or so and believe it shows a beautiful example of how human languages are constantly shape-shifting in the face of historical and social conditions.
“All words, dialects, and languages have a history,” Professor Phillip M. Carter, Director of the Center for Humanities in an Urban Environment at the Florida International University, told IFLScience.
“In Miami, there are many ways of speaking English. The variety we have been studying for the past 10 years or so is the main language variety of people born in South Florida in Latinx-majority communities.
The variety is characterized by some unique but ultimately minor pronunciations, some minor grammatical differences, and word differences, which are influenced by the longstanding presence of Spanish in South Florida,” added Carter. READ MORE...
