SpanishLesson 1 of 2 in the course Varieties of Spanish

Rioplatense Spanish: Regional History, Sound Patterns, and Grammar

5 flashcards · 5 quiz questions · 5 match pairs · 5 fill-in sentences · English

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Summary

Rioplatense Spanish is a major variety of Spanish associated with the Río de la Plata Basin. This lesson introduces where it is spoken and how migration and contact with other languages helped shape it.

Rioplatense Spanish is predominant in Argentina and Uruguay. In Argentina, it is especially associated with Buenos Aires, Rosario, Santa Fe, La Plata, Mar del Plata, and Bahía Blanca, along with surrounding suburbs and connecting regions. In Uruguay, it is spoken nationwide as Uruguayan Spanish.

All flashcards

What is Rioplatense Spanish?
It is a variety of Spanish originating around the Río de la Plata Basin and spoken mainly in Argentina and Uruguay.
Where is Rioplatense Spanish especially prominent in Argentina?
It is prominent in major urban areas including Buenos Aires, Rosario, Santa Fe, La Plata, Mar del Plata, and Bahía Blanca, as well as nearby suburbs and connecting regions.
How did Italian immigration affect Rioplatense Spanish?
Italian-speaking immigrants contributed loanwords, helped shape lunfardo, and influenced the dialect’s distinctive intonation.
What is lunfardo?
Lunfardo is an argot or slang associated with the region, shaped in part by Italian-language influence.
What is yeísmo?
Yeísmo is the merger of the historically distinct sounds represented by ll and y, so words such as se cayó and se calló can sound alike.

Quiz questions

  1. Which two countries form the core area of Rioplatense Spanish?Answer: Argentina and Uruguay
  2. Why is there no definitive total for the number of Rioplatense Spanish speakers?Answer: It is a Spanish dialect, and estimates depend on how its regional boundaries are defined.
  3. When did large-scale European immigration to the region take place?Answer: From the 1870s to the mid-1960s
  4. What does sheísmo refer to in Rioplatense Spanish?Answer: The merged ll/y sound is often pronounced as voiceless [ʃ].
  5. Which pronoun is used for plural “you” in Rioplatense Spanish?Answer: Ustedes, with a third-person plural verb

Based on the Wikipedia article Rioplatense Spanish, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Adapted into a summary, flashcards and quizzes.

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