Dominican Slang Questions

[Jim Hinsch]

How is it that there is not Taino blood left in the country?

I heard a term the other day and couldn't for the life of me figure out why it is offensive or how it is spelled to look it up in a dictionary. I was told it is a sea animal like a turtle. It sounded like icotea.

[Drake]

Jim Hinsch
Icotea sp? is actually a small fresh water turtle found in Dominican rivers and streams.

Incidently Hurricane is a Taino word originating from this island (Hispañiola). A word now used globally.

[Marilyn]

We might not have any Taino (or Arawak) blood because of their early extinction, but their culture and language still shows in our daily life, for example:

Bohio: thatch-roofed house, very common in rural parts of the country, the word is still used by campesinos, especially in the south.

Casabe: a Yucca bread originally made by the Taino, it's still a delicacy among Dominicans, especially with chicharron de puerco (pork fritter).

Mayimbe: Does anyone know Fernando Villalona? means tribe chief, mostly used in Cuba

Jicotea: land turtle (most Dominicans pronounce it Hicotea with a soft J sound)

Jaragua, Higuey, Bahoruco, etc., all names of provinces and/or towns

Borinquen: Taino name for Puerto Rico, means land of the valiant

Boricua: people that live in the land of the valiant

Haiti: name of the whole Island

Fotuto: home-made trumpet

Guay: expression of pain (Dominicans love using "Guay mi Mai"

colibri: picaflor (forgot the english translation) small bird

Huracan: Hurricane hura - viento (wind) can - centro (center)

Inagua: underskirt used by women

coki: small frog (used in Puerto Rico)

Guayo: used to grate Yucca for the casabe

Caribe: strong people, warriors (used: Caribbean sea, also, Dominicans say "Aji Caribe" meaning very hot pepper)

Hamaca: hammock

Cay: cayo, key (very small island)

chicha: fermented corn beer (used in Mexico

Cayuco: small boat

cibao: rock mountain

cocuyo: luminous insect (firefly)

cucubano: big cocuyo

cojiba: rolled tobacco

Carey: sea turtle (tortoise)

Canoa: small boat (canoe)

Cacique: chief (word used sarcastically for Politicians)

Cabuya: very fine thread from the Maguey (another taino word) palm

Maguey: native palm tree

Dajao: fresh water fish (still used by campesinos)

Guagua: their mode of transportation (Dominicans used to refer to public buses)

Jagua: fruit used widely in DR to make Jagua juice, very refreshing

Maraca: musical instrument

Guaraguao: bird that eats chickens
Iguana: big lizard

Guacara: cave (Guacara Taina - very famous night club in a cave)
Jaiba: fresh water crab (word is still used by all Dominicans)

Mucaro: bird similar to the eagle (well know to Dominican campesinos)

Jibaro: campesino (used in widely Puerto Rico)

Jimagua: twins (used widely in Puerto Rico)
Piragua: long boat (used in Colombia)

Aji: Picante (hot)

Ana: Flor Caona: de oro ANACAONA: Flor de Oro

Macuto: a bag made of palm leaves to carry fruits and viandas

Arepa: corn tortilla or cornmeal cake (used in Venezuela and DR)


Macana: Garrote (very widely used in DR to refer to policemen's sticks)

Barbacoa: Barbeque is a bad translation of the word barbacoa, a platform with for legs used for different purposes

Manati: sacred marine cow

Batey: it was their baseball game, also a sacred place, today used in the sugar cane plantations to house workers and their families

Sabana: big valley

Nigua: small insect

Nagua: tail cover or taparrabo (small white skirt used by Indians to cover their intimate parts)

Mabi: refreshing drink, very popular among Dominicans

Bija: Achiote

And last but not least:

Quisqueya: Aboriginal word for the Eastern part of Haiti (this is how they called the whole Island) meaning the place of the high lands.

[Pib]

Jim I think the correct spelling is Hicotea , though I've many people say Jicotea too. But I can't swear that on the bible.

On the risk of steering this thread from the OP I must say that although I believe the ammount of Taino blood in our veins is negligible(sp?) there is a few things that we inherited from them. The most used words are:

Taino (Obviously): it originally meant "the good people"
Barbacoa: Barbeque, (BBQ)
Haiti: I believe means mother of all land. Don't take my words.
Quisqueya: Same meaning as Haiti, same disclaimer.
Cibao: Means "land within mountains"
Cacique: Chief
Cacicazgo: Chieftain
Conuco: piece of land for farming
Huracán: Hurricane
Cazabe: Cassaba bread
Bohio: hut
Hamaca: hammock

There are many more words I can't recall now, but all these are of common use in DR and/or the world. Many towns still have Taino names, many people name their children after famous Taino people and many other words are still in use.

[Bugsey34]

thats weird if the word 'guay' is of Taino origin, because it is used here in Madrid to mean 'cool'. It's slang that's sort of hip to say.

[Marilyn]

Originally posted by Bugsey34
thats weird if the word 'guay' is of Taino origin, because it is used here in Madrid to mean 'cool'. It's slang that's sort of hip to say.

We also use the word "guay" here to mean "yell", i.e.: "el ultimo "guay" de la moda" meaning to say el ultimo grito de la moda or "the latest fashion", it's used as a joke mostly, when someone is fashionably dressed and not out of season.

[Onions&carrots]

It's an obvious fact that the disorganized Spanish soldiers had sex with the Taino women just like the Negro slaves. There are no clear cut answers but the haphazard nature of extinctions points to this truth. While they did disappear as a race their blood lives on thru many Dominicans in different areas of the DR.The exact amount can never be known but it is present and preferred.
Criss Colon used an interesting term-hybrid vigor. The DR is more of a melting pot than the US. A country in which the white,black and indian have mixed thru the centuries.While the US has allowed people from all over the world to come to its shores, it still is centuries behind the DR in its ability to mix interracially. the future of this planet from an optimistic viewpoint will see the entire Earth like the DR-hybrid vigor.

Hey Criss, I might use that name for an underground alternative group. Of course if I hit it big I ain't gonna give anything.

naaa-naaa-na-na-naaaaa

[Marilyn]

O&C:

Would the term DR Hybrid-vigor be translated into "Indio canelo" or "burro azuano"?

[Pib]

Originally posted by Marilyn
O&C:

Would the term DR Hybrid-vigor be translated into "Indio canelo" or "burro azuano"?

I am laughing so loud that my co-workers are looking at me funny.

[Onions&carrots]

That's Criss' invention.