Читать книгу Cubanisms - Pedro García-Menocal - Страница 23

“twins” is gemelos. Her babies may play with marugas, a baby’s rattle. Maruga is also the name of a musical instrument, also a rattle. Colloquially, the word is used to describe a person who does not pay his debts promptly. It can be used as a noun or an adjective.

Mija, mijo, mijita, mijito are colloquial ways of pronouncing mi hija (my daughter), mi hijo (my son), mi hijita (my little daughter), mi hijito (my little son). These can be terms of endearment or affection usually applied to friends, not usually to one’s own children, which really mean, “Listen, pal.”

Pura and puro, as well as mima and pipo, are other ways of saying mamá (mother) and papá (father). Pureta, pureto, puretano, are other words that used to mean mother and father, but that, today, are really only used to refer to elderly people. Cuña, which is an old Cuban word for a convertible car, is also short for the correct Spanish words cuñado (brother in law) and cuñada (sister in law).