Costeñol

First, it is important to note that Spanish is not Spanish is not Spanish. That is to say, just as folks in Great Britain might argue whether people in the United States speak English, each Spanish-speaking country has its own flavor for the language. Guatemalans, for instance, speak very slowly and clearly. They have certain phrases that are uniquely Guatemalan, but they speak a fairly standard version of the Spanish many of us learn in school.

Colombia, not so much.

Colombians are big talkers and they love to tell stories and jokes, many of them using words that I have never heard before and cannot find in any dictionary. On top of that, Colombia is a nation with great diversity even within the country in the ways people speak. Just as Southerners have a slightly different way of talking than Midwesterners (so I hear), different ares of Colombia have their own terminologies, speeds, and sayings.

Right now Richard and I are in Barranquilla which is on the Caribbean Coast and the people here call themselves “Costeños.” They speak very rapidly and always eat at least a few letters in every sentence. I have a great deal of trouble figuring out whether the things I don’t understand are because I didn’t hear them properly or because I really have no idea what was just said. When we talk about it, folks here laugh and shake their heads and say, “Oh yes, you will have to start learning Costeñol since you will be living here.”

So in order to bring you along with our continuing language lessons, I offer you the

“Costeñol Palabra del Dia”

Corroncho (ko-RON-cho):  noun or adjective – Used to describe someone who is oddly dressed and oddly mannered.  One person’s translation to English – hillbilly.  Generally used playfully.

Take it as you will, but just know that you are on your way to a whole new world…