Isleño Spanish facts for kids

Isleño Spanish (in Spanish: español isleño) is a special way of speaking Spanish. It is used by people in St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana, in the United States. These people are descendants of settlers from the Canary Islands who came to Louisiana in the late 1700s.

Over time, other languages and people influenced this dialect. These included people from other parts of Spain and other Spanish-speaking countries. A slightly different version of this language, called Brule Spanish, was spoken by Isleños who settled along Bayou Lafourche.

Today, Isleño Spanish is almost gone. During the 1900s, modern life and city growth made it harder for families to pass the language down. Also, big natural disasters caused problems. Most of the people who still speak Isleño Spanish are older adults. They often live in fishing communities in eastern St. Bernard Parish.

History of Isleño Spanish

The Isleños are people whose families came from the Canary Islands. They arrived in Spanish Louisiana between 1778 and 1783. About 2,000 Canary Islanders settled in different places. One of these places became known as San Bernardo, or Saint Bernard.

When the community was new, some Acadians and Filipinos also lived there. The Filipinos came from a nearby place called Saint Malo. These groups sometimes married into the Canary Islander families. In the 1800s and 1900s, more people from rural Spain moved to the area. They came from places like Andalusia, Santander, Galicia, and Catalonia. An old survey from 1850 showed that many people in the community were from Spain, the Canary Islands, Cuba, and Mexico.

Why the Language Declined

Many things caused Isleño Spanish to decline. A big hurricane in 1915 destroyed many Isleño fishing villages. A few years later, the Spanish flu pandemic killed over a thousand people in the community.

In 1921, a new law in Louisiana said that all public schools had to teach in English. This made it harder for children to learn Spanish in school. After World War II, cities grew, and life became more modern. This also made it harder for people to keep speaking Spanish.

Hurricane Betsy in 1965 caused a lot of damage to the Isleño community. Then, in 2005, Hurricane Katrina hit and devastated the area. Only a small number of Isleño families have been able to return to their homes.

Because of these events, the Spanish language is no longer being passed down to younger generations. Many old traditions are also disappearing. The people who still speak Isleño Spanish are mostly older members of the community.

How Isleño Spanish Sounds

Isleño Spanish sounds a lot like other Spanish dialects. It is similar to the Spanish spoken in the Canary Islands, mainland Spain, and the Caribbean.

One interesting thing about Isleño Spanish is how some sounds are made. For example, the "th" sound (like in "thin") and the "s" sound (like in "snake") are both pronounced as an "s" sound. This is called seseo.

Here are a few ways Isleño Spanish sounds different:

• The "d" sound often disappears, especially in the middle or at the end of words. For example, miedo (fear) might sound like mjeo.
• The "h" sound is often kept strong, like the "h" in "hat."
• The "r" sound can sometimes change to an "l" sound. So, arte (art) might sound like alte.
• The "s" sound often becomes like an "h" sound. For example, los casas (the houses) might sound like loh kasah.
• The "j" sound (like in "jalapeño") is always pronounced like an "h" sound. This is common in southern Spain and the Caribbean.

Vowel sounds can also be different. Sometimes, the "e" sound can become an "i" sound. For example, decir (to say) might sound like disi. The "o" sound can sometimes become a "u" sound, so llover (to rain) might sound like ljuvei. Also, the "ei" sound (like in "eight") can sometimes sound like "ai," as in seis (six) sounding like saihs.

Grammar and Word Use

In Isleño Spanish, some words have a different gender than in other Spanish dialects. For example, el costumbre (the custom) is masculine, but in standard Spanish, it's la costumbre (feminine). These differences might be because of the early influence of Portuguese on Canarian Spanish.

Speakers often use pronouns more than needed. This helps make sure who is doing the action, especially since some sounds might be dropped. Also, the pronouns vos and vosotros (which mean "you all" in some Spanish dialects) are not used in Isleño Spanish.

When asking questions, the word order can be different. For example, instead of ¿Cómo se llama usted? (What is your name?), they might say ¿Cómo usted se llama?. This is also common in Caribbean Spanish.

Words and Phrases

Isleño Spanish has many unique words because of its history. It has been influenced by English, Louisiana French, Louisiana Creole, and other Spanish dialects. It also keeps some very old words from Old Spanish.

Some words even come from the ancient Guanche languages of the Canary Islands. For example, gofio is a word used for toasted cornmeal or flour, just like in the Canary Islands. Another word, totizo (nape of the neck), is also thought to come from the Guanches.

Here are some examples of words in Isleño Spanish compared to other languages:

Note: (n.) noun, (m.n.) masculine noun, (f.n.) feminine noun, (v.) verb, (adj.) adjective.

Brule Spanish

The Isleños who settled in a community called Valenzuela, along Bayou Lafourche, developed a slightly different dialect. This was because many Acadian refugees moved there, and the community was quite isolated. This dialect is called Brule Spanish.

Brule Spanish is very endangered and might even be extinct. In the early 1990s, only a few dozen older speakers were known to exist.

This dialect has many loanwords from Louisiana French. This is the main difference between Brule Spanish and Isleño Spanish. However, they still share some similar words.

Here are some examples of words in Brule Spanish:

Note: (n.) noun, (m.n.) masculine noun, (f.n.) feminine noun, (v.) verb, (adj.) adjective, (adv.) adverb.

Notable Isleño Spanish Speakers

• Frank Michael Fernández, Jr.
• Irván "Puco" Pérez

See also

In Spanish: Español isleño de Luisiana para niños