New Language Evolving in USA

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. 

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...

NOT WHAT THEY IMAGINED

NEW YORK — For one 29-year-old Venezuelan woman, who left her two children and partner behind in her home country to embark on a six-month journey to New York City, America represented hope. 

There, she thought, she would find safety and the opportunity to make a living. But four months after arriving in the U.S., she says it’s nothing like she had imagined.

“It’s too difficult to come to a place where you don’t know the language,” the woman, who agreed to speak anonymously to protect her safety, told Yahoo News.

Speaking in Spanish, the woman had been standing along the granite wall of a bustling midtown Manhattan restaurant attached to the Roosevelt Hotel, which in recent months has been transformed into the city’s migrant intake center.

Like many Venezuelans who’ve come to the U.S. in recent years, the woman explained that Venezuela’s corrupt and repressive government had left her with few options at home. 

She embarked on the dangerous journey to the U.S. by herself, traveling through the perilous Darién Gap that connects Colombia to Panama, then multiple countries including Nicaragua and Honduras, by foot and public transportation. 

She stopped for weeks at a time to work only long enough to make enough money for the next leg of her trip. Since arriving in New York, she’s struggled to make money and obtain basic necessities while navigating the city’s shelter system. 

Eventually, she says, she hopes to bring her family to America, but she’s unsure how she will make that happen.  READ MORE...

Olive Oil: Spanish versus Italian

Options are abundant for olive oil, and the olive oil section at the grocery store can pose a challenge. How do you efficiently and confidently choose the best-tasting or best-value bottle? 

For starters, like wine or any food for that matter, it's difficult to say what will taste best since taste is so specific to the individual, says How Stuff Works. It's a good idea to experiment with what tastes good to you within your price range.

That said, several guidelines and tips ensure you get high-quality olive oil. Many may want to use the olive oil's country of origin — like Spain or Italy — as the prime determining factor. 

While each region and variety does affect the taste, first, it's best to know how and where to look for the best olive oil on the shelf. Then, you can consider the olive oil's region.

Premium extra virgin olive oil is superior and best used fresh as a topping, drizzle, or condiment. Extra virgin olive oil is next in line for high quality, per How Stuff Works. This is because extra virgin olive oil is the least processed and is chemical and additive-free, says Bon Appétit. 

Next, pick a dark-colored bottle. Olive oil spoils quickly, and clear bottles speed up the process. If you're wanting to avoid pesticides, anything certified organic is the way to go.  READ MORE...

Solar Powered Airplane

The U.S. Navy is developing an uncrewed solar-powered plane that can remain airborne for 90 days at a time thanks to massive solar panels on each of its wings.

The aircraft, evocatively called Skydweller and built by a U.S.-Spanish aerospace firm Skydweller Aero, could help the Navy keep a watchful eye on the surrounding seas while escorting ships months at a time or act as a communications relay platform. The company was awarded a $5 million contract by the U.S. Navy to develop the aircraft.

The solar-powered plane adds new software and upgraded hardware to Solar Impulse 2, a piloted solar aircraft that flew around the world in 2015-16 but had to stop every five days. The company converted the design into the Skydweller by removing the pilot seat, which allows for a longer range and more space for hardware for autonomous abilities.

The Skydweller has a wingspan of 236-foot and is covered in 2,900 square feet (269.4188 meters) of photovoltaic cells that generate up to 2 kilowatts of power. Its makers also plan to fit the aircraft with hydrogen fuel cells as a backup to boost performance or serve as a backup in case of bad weather.  READ MORE