Chicano English

Description It is a dialect of American English used by Mexican- Americans or Chicanos. It is a variety of English that is influenced by Spanish and it has low prestige in most circles. “An ethnic dialect that children acquire as they acquire English in their ethnic social setting during their language acquisition period” (Santa Ana 1993). Differences from other varieties of English are due to: interference from Spanish, learning errors that have become established, contact with other dialects of English and independent developments.

Phonological Features

Consonant Variations

The devoicing of [z] in all environments Examples: [isi] for easy and [wʌs] for was.

The devoicing of [v] in word-final position Examples: [lʌf] for love, [hɛf] for have, and [waɪfs] for wives.

Chicano speakers may pronounce /b/ instead of /v/: Examples: very [ˈbɛɹi], invite [iˈbaɪt].

Absence of dental fricatives so that think may be pronounced [ˈtiŋk], [ˈfiŋk] or [ˈsiŋk].

Poor distinction between /j/ and /dʒ/ so that job may sound like yob and yes may sound like jes.

Poor distinction of nasals in the syllable coda so that seen and seem are pronounced alike.

/tʃ/ merges with /ʃ/ so sheep and cheap are pronounced alike. A

inversion may also happen, causing sheep to sound like /tʃip/

and cheap to sound like /ʃip/.

Vowels Variations

Chicano English speakers may merge [æ] and [e], or invert those, causing bed to sound like bad and bad to sound like bed, or causing both to sound the same.

e.g. /ɪŋ/ sounds like /iŋ/: sink sounds like seenk,sing sounds like see.

Stress Patterns

In Chicano English, stress is often placed on one syllable prefixes as well as roots. The stress on one syllable prefixes and roots is elongated.

Examples: AmE CE

Today 'today decide 'decide refuse 'refuse Repeat 'repeat

resist 'resist1

Final Consonant Deletion

Only certain consonants occur at the end of words. All other single consonants in English would thus be unfamiliar to Chicano English speakers in this environment.

e.g. Most becomes [moʊs]; Felt becomes [fɛl], Start becomes [stɑr].

Pluralization

The plural marker /s/ is dropped when forming a separate syllable.

Ex: five cent -> five cents different food -> different foods kiss-ditch -> kiss-ditches

Past Tense Marker

In Chicano English the /-ed/ suffix which forms the past tense marker is not produced due to the phonological rules that prohibit the clustering of consonants at the end of words.

Ex: Yesterday, he start selling newspapers.

Morphological Features

Chicano English has many features related to morphology that show the influence of Spanish. Vocabulary includes words like simon meaning "yes", firme meaning "good", flika meaning "picture", vato meaning "guy", and feria meaning "money".

Substitution of the negative element “not” with “until”

“Not” is omitted and “until” can stand in as the negative element.

ex: He’ll be home until seven o’clock

Verb To Be

In Chicano English the verb to be is often not present.

AmE CEAnd they are too old And they… too old.

This is a school. This… a school.She is carrying her. She… carrying her.

He is sleeping with a bear. He… sleeping with a bear.

Multiple Negation

In Chicano English double and multiple negatives are evident.

Ex: I didn’t have no birthday party or nothing. I don’t know no stories. The little kid don’t have no shoes of his own.

Embedded Question Inversion

Ex: I ask myself what I would do? Where is the bank could you please tell me? Where did Carlos go last night can you tell me?