Español puertorriqueño
Spanish (Puerto Rican)
Romance
Puerto Rican Spanish is a Caribbean variety derived from 16th–18th century Andalusian Spanish with Canarian influences, overlaid with Taíno indigenous substrate and West African phonetic patterns. Key features: (1) Syllable-final /r/ → [l] or uvular [χ] (lambdacism/lateralization); (2) Syllable-final /s/ → [h] or zero (aspiration/deletion); (3) Intervocalic /d/ → deletion (padre [pai̯], madre [mai̯]); (4) Word-final /n/ → [ŋ] (velarization); (5) Vowel lengthening after coda /s/ deletion; (6) Fricative /x/ consistently realized as [h]; (7) Rhotics exhibit extensive variation including uvular re
Where it is spoken
20 core words in Spanish (Puerto Rican)
Water
agua
/aɣwa/
Fire
fuego
/fweɣo/
Sun
sol
/sol/
Moon
luna
/luna/
Mother
madre
/mai̯/
Father
padre
/pai̯/
Eat
comer
/komel/
Drink
beber
/beβel/
Love
amor
/amol/
Heart
corazón
/koɾason/
Tree
árbol
/aɾβol/
House
casa
/kasa/
Dog
perro
/pelo/
Cat
gato
/ɡato/
Hand
mano
/mano/
Eye
ojo
/oho/
Hello
hola
/ola/
Thank you
gracias
/ɡɾasjaʰ/
One
uno
/uno/
Good
bueno
/bweno/
Words compared
Compared with related Romance languages
| Meaning | Spanish (Puerto Rican) | Panamanian Spanish | Spanish (Chile) | Spanish (Cuban) | Spanish | Spanish (Dominican Republic) | Spanish (Ecuadorian) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | agua /aɣwa/ | agua /aɣwa/ | agua /aɣwa/ | agua /aɣwa/ | agua /aɣwa/ | agua /aɣwa/ | agua /aɣwa/ |
| Fire | fuego /fweɣo/ | fuego /fweɣo/ | fuego /fweɣo/ | fuego /fweɣo/ | fuego /fweɣo/ | fuego /fweɣo/ | fuego /fweɣo/ |
| Sun | sol /sol/ | sol /sol/ | sol /sol/ | sol /sol/ | sol /sol/ | sol /sol/ | sol /sol/ |
| Moon | luna /luna/ | luna /luna/ | luna /luna/ | luna /luna/ | luna /luna/ | luna /luna/ | luna /luna/ |
| Mother | madre /mai̯/ | madre /maðɾe/ | madre /maðɾe/ | madre /maðɾe/ | madre /madɾe/ | madre /maðɾe/ | madre /maðɾe/ |
| Father | padre /pai̯/ | padre /paðɾe/ | padre /paðɾe/ | padre /paðɾe/ | padre /padɾe/ | padre /paðɾe/ | padre /paðɾe/ |
| Eat | comer /komel/ | comer /komeɾ/ | comer /komeɾ/ | comer /komeɾ/ | comer /komer/ | comer /kome/ | comer /komeɾ/ |
| Drink | beber /beβel/ | beber /beβeɾ/ | beber /beβeɾ/ | beber /beβeɾ/ | beber /beβer/ | beber /beβe/ | beber /beβeɾ/ |
| Love | amor /amol/ | amor /amoɾ/ | amor /amoɾ/ | amor /amoɾ/ | amor /amor/ | amor /amo/ | amor /amoɾ/ |
| Heart | corazón /koɾason/ | corazón /koɾason/ | corazón /koɾason/ | corazón /koɾason/ | corazón /koɾason/ | corazón /koɾaˈsõ/ | corazón /koɾason/ |
| Tree | árbol /aɾβol/ | árbol /aɾβol/ | árbol /aɾβol/ | árbol /aɾβol/ | árbol /aɾβol/ | árbol /aɾβol/ | árbol /aɾβol/ |
| House | casa /kasa/ | casa /kasa/ | casa /kasa/ | casa /kasa/ | casa /kasa/ | casa /kasa/ | casa /kasa/ |
| Dog | perro /pelo/ | perro /pero/ | perro /pero/ | perro /pero/ | perro /pero/ | perro /pero/ | perro /pero/ |
| Cat | gato /ɡato/ | gato /ɡato/ | gato /ɡato/ | gato /ɡato/ | gato /ɡato/ | gato /ɡato/ | gato /ɡato/ |
| Hand | mano /mano/ | mano /mano/ | mano /mano/ | mano /mano/ | mano /mano/ | mano /mano/ | mano /mano/ |
| Eye | ojo /oho/ | ojo /oho/ | ojo /oho/ | ojo /oho/ | ojo /oxo/ | ojo /oxo/ | ojo /oxo/ |
| Hello | hola /ola/ | hola /ola/ | hola /ola/ | hola /ola/ | hola /ola/ | hola /ola/ | hola /ola/ |
| Thank you | gracias /ɡɾasjaʰ/ | gracias /ɡɾasjas/ | gracias /ɡɾasjah/ | gracias /ɡɾasjah/ | gracias /ɡɾaθjas/ | gracias /ɡɾasja/ | gracias /ɡɾasjas/ |
| One | uno /uno/ | uno /uno/ | uno /uno/ | uno /uno/ | uno /uno/ | uno /uno/ | uno /uno/ |
| Good | bueno /bweno/ | bueno /bweno/ | bueno /bweno/ | bueno /bweno/ | bueno /bweno/ | bueno /bweno/ | bueno /bweno/ |
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