Nicaraguan Spanish

The Nicaraguan accent, like most New World Spanish, dates back to the 16th century in Andalusia. It shares later developments of Andalusian Spanish with that of Cuba, the Dominican Republic and the Caribbean/coastal regions of Venezuela, Colombia, Panama, Honduras and Puerto Rico. Nicaragua's relative isolation from Spain, however, and, to an extent, from other nations, fostered the development of the Nicaraguan accent, which did not change in the same ways that the Andalusian, Canarian, or other Spanish-American accents did.

During its history, Nicaraguan Spanish has acquired many indigenous influences and several distinguishing characteristics. Until the 19th century, a hybrid form of Nahuat-Spanish was the common language of Nicaragua. Today, Nahuat, Mangue and Mayan words, along with their respective syntax, can be found in everyday speech. Also, as Nicaragua was part of First Mexican Empire, there are a number of words widely used in Nicaragua which have Nahuatl, Mayan or other native origins, in particular names for flora, fauna and toponyms.

Notable characteristics of Nicaraguan phonology include the following:

• The presence of Seseo wherein /θ/ and /s/ are not distinguished. Seseo is common to Andalusian and Canarian Spanish varieties.
• Syllable-final /s/ is realized as glottal [h][5][6] (except in the southern departments of Rio San Juan and Rivas).
• /x/ is realized as glottal [h].[5][6]
• The pronunciation of intervocalic /ʝ/ (orthographic y or ll) is "weak", without friction.[5][6]
• Intervocalic /d/ often disappears; the ending -ado is often [ao].[5][6]
• There is no confusion between /l/ and /r/, as in the Caribbean.
• Word-final /n/ is pronounced velar [ŋ].[5][6]
• Word-final voiceless stops (/p/, /t/, /k/—rare in native Spanish words, but occurring in many words borrowed from English) are often merged in pronunciation as [k].[5] The Costa Rican ice cream shop Pops, with franchises in other Central American countries, is pronounced in certain regions of Nicaragua as Pocs. Internet is sometimes pronounced Internec; cenit is pronounced cenic; laptop is pronounced lactoc; and robot pronounced roboc. This is sometimes extended to native Spanish words where such stops are found at the end of a syllable. For example, aceptar is sometimes pronounced acectar.
• As Nicaragua was part of First Mexican Empire, Nicaraguan dialect adopted the voiceless alveolar affricate [t͡s] and the cluster [tl] (originally /tɬ/) represented by the respective digraphs <tz> and <tl> in loanwords of Nahuatl origin, like quetzal and tlapalería [t͡ɬapaleˈɾia] ('hardware store'). Even words of Greek and Latin origin with <tl>, such as Atlántico and atleta, are pronounced with the affricate: [aˈtlãn̪t̪iko̞], [aˈtle̞t̪a] (compare [aðˈlãn̪t̪iko̞], [aðˈle̞t̪a] in Spain and other dialects in Hispanic America[7]).

A number of words widely used in Nicaragua which have Nahuatl, Mayan or other native origins, in particular names for flora, fauna and toponyms. Some of these words are used in most, or all, Spanish-speaking countries, like chocolate and aguacate ("avocado"), and some are only used in Mexico and Nicaragua. The latter include guajolote "turkey" < Nahuatl huaxōlōtl [waˈʃoːloːt͡ɬ] (although pavo is also used, as in other Spanish-speaking countries); papalote "kite" < Nahuatl pāpālōtl [paːˈpaːloːt͡ɬ] "butterfly"; and jitomate "tomato" < Nahuatl xītomatl [ʃiːˈtomat͡ɬ]. For a more complete list see List of Spanish words of Nahuatl origin. Certain words that are present in Nicaraguan Spanish may not be immediately recognizable to non-Nicaraguans:

• ahuevado: (adj.) It means to be worried, . Similar to "preocupado" or "afligido".
• bicha: beer.
• boludo: lazy.
• broder: friend, brother, companion.
• cachipil/cachimbo: a lot, a large quantity.
• caite: form of leather shoe typically worn and made by campesinos.
• caponera: auto rickshaw, motorized tricycles.
• chavalo/a: adolescent or young person; child.[8]
• chayul: gnat, fruit flies.
• chimbomba: balloon.
• chochada: something unimportant; nonsense (usually as a comment in regard to someone's words).
• chompipe: turkey.
• Chunche: An All-purpose word that's loosely translated to mean “that” or “thing”
• cipote/chigüin: brat, punk; small child.[9]
• cuecho: gossip.
• cumiche: baby of the family, the youngest son or daughter.
• encachimbado: angry, furious, disgusted. Angrier than "arrecho".
• enturcado: angry as well. In the same intensity of "encachimbado".
• goma: hangover (estar de goma).
• guaro: liquor, usually rum.
• ideay: expression of surprise; means: What's up?.
• ipegüe: baker's dozen (13 items) .
• maje/mae: depending on context, it can refer to a friend, a third person (in a familiar manner), or be colloquially used to call someone a moron.
• nica, nicoya: (noun, colloquial) Nicaraguan.
• pajilla: drinking straw.
• pegue: workplace or any job.
• pinche: stingy, cheapskate
• pinolero/a: (noun, colloquial) a Nicaraguan person.
• pulpería/venta: grocery store.
• salvaje: (colloquial) awesome, impressive.
• tamal: thief, crook.
• tapudo: liar or bigmouth.
• tuani: very nice or pleasing, of high quality (often applied to clothing).
• zancudo: mosquito.

• Spanish language in the Americas
• Central American Spanish
• Seseo
• Voseo

• REAL ACADEMIA ESPAÑOLA DICCIONARIO PANHISPÁNICO DE DUDAS
• History of Voseo
• Lexicon of Nicaraguan Spanish
• Dropping of S in word endings.