Maracucho Spanish
The Maracucho Spanish (also called maracaibero, marabino or zuliano) is the variety of Spanish generally spoken in the Zulia state in the northwest of Venezuela and the west of the Falcón state (Mauroa Municipality). Unlike the varieties from Caracas, Venezuelan Llanos or the Venezuelan Andean region, the maracucho is typically voseante. Preserves for this combination the shape of the second person plural familiar (vosotros), without apocope or syncope, which distinguishes it from the Chilean and Rioplatense voseo, respectively.
Ending | Peninsular plural |
Voseo1 singular |
Marabino singular |
Chilean singular |
Standard singular |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
-ir | vosotros partís | vos partís | tú partís | tú partes | |
-er | vosotros corréis | vos corrés | vos corréis | tú corrís | tú corres |
-ar | vosotros cantáis | vos cantás | vos cantáis | tú cantái | tú cantas |
-ir (Alternating) | vosotros decís | vos decís | tú decís | tú dices | |
-er (Alternating) | vosotros perdéis | vos perdés | vos perdéis | tú perdís | tú pierdes |
Ar (alternating) | vosotros colgáis | vos colgás | vos colgáis | tú colgái | tú cuelgas |
(imperative) | mirad vosotros | mirá vos | mira tú | ||
1 General Voseo from Rioplatense to Central America |
Besides, the maracucho is characterized by the use of many words and expressions different from the particular Spanish from Venezuela and an accent markedly different from those of other regions of the country. But in terms of pronunciation, there is something in common with Venezuelan and other Caribbean dialects, more obviously aspiration of [x] and syllable-final /s/. An interesting fact is that the demonyms of Maracaibo are due to the type of speech used by the people of Municipality. The maracuchos are characterized (in other states of Venezuela) for being foul-mouthed and sometimes cracked, but this depends on which part of the region they are in. The maracuchos are distinguished by the use of unique phrases in Venezuela, and the use of colloquial language, some examples of which are: ¡Que molleja!, ¡A la vaina!, ¡A la verga! that indicate astonishment, Mollejúo to mean something big.
Also used are expressions such as "Mialma" and "Vergación", for example "¡Mialma, no sabía esa verga!" and the "Vergación" when something seems surprising them also to emphasize that if in the size, color, odor and other characteristics of what they refer to, example; "Vergación de grande es tu casa" or "vergación, que molleja de calor hay" usually it is used by the maracaiberos as these expressions are seen as rude or vulgar.