A new dialect of English known as Miami English has developed within the city’s Spanish-speaking Cuban community, characterized by the use of literal translations from Spanish to English, termed calques.
This linguistic variation has emerged as a result of the mass migration of Cubans to Miami in the 1950s.
The dialect exhibits unique pronunciations, grammatical differences, and word usage influenced by the longstanding presence of Spanish in South Florida.
“The variety we have been studying for the past 10 years or so is the main language variety of people born in South Florida in Latinx-majority communities,” Florida International University professor Phillip Carter said.
“The variety is characterized by some unique but ultimately minor pronunciations, some minor grammatical differences, and word differences, which are influenced by the longstanding presence of Spanish in South Florida.”
Examples of Miami English include using “meat empanadas” instead of “beef empanadas” and saying “We got down from the car” instead of “We got out of the car.”
The use of calques is viewed as a common practice in language evolution, with historical examples such as “dandelion,” derived from the French “dent de lion.”
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