Quote:
Originally Posted by Yachtguy1
3. Chin or Chin Chin - Means "a little bit" or just "a little."
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Chin is exclusive to the Dominican vernacular. I don’t think anyone on this board is unfamiliar with it unless s/he is really new to the country and for sure it would not be long before they start hearing it. Un chin= un poquito but Spanish being the language of doble entendre (doble sentido) (at times) just like its sister language French thus it can have a another meaning. What you hear in songs is an example. Titles such as
Dame un chin and combined with the lyrics makes the meaning clear. Context and connotation is the key to understanding the meaning.
As well, the various diminutive forms that one might hear is very typical of the DR vernacular (rural specifically).
Quote:
Originally Posted by Yachtguy1
4. Pana - Used by younger Dominicans to refer to a good friend or pal.
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Pana is used in a few Latin countries with meaning of 'amigo', 'buddy'. It’s used in colloquial speech with a range of speakers not only younger folk. Examples include Panama and Venezuela for sure where you will hear
pana used and of course outside of Latin America such as Canada and the USA where the language is spoken by a diverse group of Spanish speakers. There are many theories about the origin, some say it comes from English but I have never read anything concrete to back that up. There are other existing theories about the origin of the word.
Regionalisms and colloquialisms enrich the language learning process, comprehension, knowledge and diversity.
En mi opinión, cuanto más sepas mejor.
-LDG.
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