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| Trinidadian Spanish | |
|---|---|
| castellano trinitense, castellano trinitario | |
| Pronunciation | [kasteˈʝano tɾiniˈtense, - tɾiniˈtaɾjo] |
| Native to | Trinidad and Tobago |
| Region | Caribbean |
Native speakers | ~4000 (2019)[1] L1 users: ~4000 (2019) L2 users: 66400 |
Indo-European
| |
Early forms | |
| Latin (Spanish alphabet) | |
| Official status | |
Official language in |  Trinidad and Tobago (First Foreign Language) |
| Regulated by | None |
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-1 | es |
| ISO 639-2 | spa[2] |
| ISO 639-3 | – |
| Glottolog | None |
| IETF | es-TT |
Trinidadian Spanish (castellano trinitense or castellano trinitario) refers to the Spanish natively spoken by Cocoa Panyols in Trinidad and Tobago which is very close to extinction.
The current situation of Spanish in Trinidad and Tobago is complex due to the recent influx of Venezuelan migrants and a misguided popular belief that there was never a hispanophone presence on the island, resulting in all Spanish speakers are labeled as Venezuelan or "Spanish". Most native Spanish speakers in Trinidad were historically found in the Santa Cruz, Caura Valley, Paramin, Lopinot and other rural communities working in and around the cocoa industry.[3] The local dialect of Trinidadian Spanish is almost completely lost due to its social status (as a language for the poor or migrants), the prestige of English under British rule and larger influxes of non-Hispanic communities: East Indians, Chinese, Portuguese, Syrians, etc. But due to the country's proximity to the coast of Venezuela, the country is currently slowly developing a relationship with Spanish-speaking peoples, and therefore the government requires that Spanish be taught in secondary education. Specifically, in 2004, when the government appointed Spanish as the first foreign language, launched in March 2005, the East Indians, Chinese, Portuguese, Syrians, etc. study Spanish.[4]
The last vestiges of Hispano-Trinidadian culture can be seen in the Christmas period. Traditional music from the Northern Range, Parang a galicismo of Parranda, uses the Joropo, Gaita and Polo music styles among others and is sung in Spanish. More recent Soca Parang and Chutney Parang have been performed in English. Pastelles, or pasteles in Spanish, are also eaten.
Trinidadian Spanish is closely related to the Spanish found in the east of Venezuela (Sucre, Caribbean Coast) and Margarita Island and shares many features with Caribbean Spanish in general. Due to the Venezuelan presence in Trinidad, it is likely that the local dialect of spoken Spanish will become ever more venezolano or sucrense.
- ^ "Español Legua Viva 2019" (PDF). Instituto Cervantes (in Spanish). Archived (PDF) from the original on 26 March 2023. Retrieved 6 January 2023.
- ^ "ISO 639-2 Language Code search". Library of Congress. Archived from the original on 24 April 2022. Retrieved 21 September 2017.
- ^ Moodie-Kublalsingh, Sylvia (1994). The cocoa panyols of Trinidad : an oral record. London: British Academic Press. ISBN 1-85043-660-6. OCLC 30962336.
- ^ Grau Perejoan, Maria; Gea Monera, María Pilar (2007). "El español en Trinidad y Tobago" (PDF). El español por países (in European Spanish). Instituto Cervantes. Retrieved 23 April 2024.
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