Distinctive Features of Latin American Spanish Phonetics and Grammar

I. Phonetic Level

Sese: Confusion between /s/ and /z/

Yeísmo: No distinction between /ʝ/ and /ʎ/

Especially prevalent in Argentina and Uruguay.

Impairment of /s/ at the end of a word or syllable

Especially noted in Cuba, Santo Domingo, Puerto Rico, and Panama.

Confusion between /r/ and /l/

Observed in Cuba, Santo Domingo, and Panama.

Hesitation Vowel: Alternations, changes, diphthongs

Examples include melita, width, PASI (Note: Original terms might be specific examples requiring context, kept as is).

II. Morphosyntactic Level

Gender Hesitation

• el puente (the bridge)
• el hambre (the hunger)

Pluralization Issues

Examples: pies (feet), cafés (cafes).

Use of Postponed Possessive

Example: "Mine is the preferred sport FJ ride motorcycles" (Sentence structure needs clarification, kept as per original intent).

Pronominal Redundancy

Example: "What you say?" (Likely intended as a redundant pronoun usage).

Excessive Use of the Diminutive

Used for almost everything, e.g., ahorita (right now).

Adjectival Adverbialization

Example: "sings nice" (Should be "sings nicely" or the Spanish equivalent structure).

Use of the Present Participle without Auxiliary

Employment of the present participle (gerund) without estar to mean 'now' or 'currently.'

Superlativization with + más

Example: "You are the prettiest" (Using más + adjective structure).

Widespread Use of the Simple Past (Preterite)

Example: "come to have arrived" (Likely meaning simple past used where perfect might be expected elsewhere).

Concordance of the Impersonal Verb Haber with the Direct Object

Example: "There were many people in the room" (Incorrect agreement in some contexts).

Use of Pronominal Verbs Not Common in Peninsular Spanish

Examples: pensarse (to think), huirse (to flee), alcanzarse (to be reached).

The Voseo

Use of vos instead of tú for the second-person singular familiar. The form uses second-person plural verb conjugations (though the original text mixes concepts):

• You sing (vos cantás)
• You come from you (Unclear phrasing, likely referring to reflexive usage)
• In addition, they can match voseo and familiarity: vos volverás (you will return).

Absence of Plural Vosotros

Replaced by ustedes.

III. Lexical Level

There are four key components in the construction of the Latin American lexicon:

1. Property Adapted to New Realities

Many Castilian words reflect new acceptances to name people and things. Examples:

• rancho (housing)
• levantarse (to rebel)

2. Adoption from Native Indian Languages

West Indian (Taino/Arawak):

canoa (canoe), barbacoa (barbecue), hamaca (hammock), huracán (hurricane), caimán (alligator), canoa (canoe) (repeated).

Mexican Nahuatl:

aguacate (avocado), cacahuete (peanuts), cacao (cocoa), tomate (tomato), chocolate (chocolate), chicle (chewing gum).

Inca Empire Quechua:

china (female Indian or mestizo), coca (coca), cóndor (condor), mate (tea), pampa (plains), pisco (Guarani brandy).

Other Indigenous Terms:

jaguar, tucán (toucan).

3. African Influence

In certain areas of the Caribbean coast, African influence adds a different tone to voices, especially in place names and local terms.

4. Frequent Neologisms

Today, Anglicisms and other foreign loans have become very influential elements in the language:

• steak (steak)
• fulminar (to kill/strike down)
• zip (zip/zipper)