The regionalisms of Honduras, also called localisms, are words and expressions of Honduran folklore that have a particular meaning in that country. In general, localisms tend to have a specific meaning for each country or set of countries.
But hyperlocal cases can also arise in which a word or phrase only makes sense in one region of the country. This occurs in Honduras.
The sources of identity that give rise to regionalisms vary not only between countries but also between localities, so that they can vary depending on the area of the country.
The 33 most common regionalisms of Honduras
Avocado: Creole dog, which is not purebred.
Avocado: silly, slow.
Amachinarse: get together, go live together, as couples do without being married.
Arrecho: angry, upset.
Bichín: person with a broken tooth or a missing tooth.
Billullo: a way of saying money.
Camellada: long and strenuous hike.
Chele: person with light skin, blonde or light eyes. What in Venezuela is called catire or in Mexico güero. It is not used in a derogatory way.
Cheto: very tasty spiny fish. Sexy woman.
Check: something of good quality, that works. It is also synonymous with being up to date, without debt.
Chillo: debt.
Chunche: one thing, anything.
Chuña: go barefoot or without shoes.
Chupadero: bar.
Collective: collective taxi.
Cipote: a dick is a boy and a cipota is a girl.
Dismantled, dismantled: at full speed.
Enjaranarse: get into debt.
Judgment: bad smell.
His fins stink: his armpits smell.
Solid: something that causes pleasure, be it visually, musically or emotionally. Anything can be massive, like a garment, a song, or a photograph.
Minimum: Honduras being an exporting nation of bananas, when they did not reach the minimum size for export, they were destined for domestic consumption. In this minimal way it became synonymous with banana.
Dark: darkness, closedness.
Palmar: to die.
Patachucho: someone who goes out a lot or walks a lot.
Patatus: seizure attack. Death.
Pisto: a way of calling money.
Rispar: to rush out of a place.
Rosquete: cornmeal bread kneaded with butter and sweet in the shape of a thread and baked.
Toad: gossipy, talkative. The simile is made with the large mouths of amphibians.
Zampalimones: nosy person.
Zarandajo: something that bothers.
Zurumbo: dizzy, silly, lumbo.
Examples of regionalisms in sentences
- «The chele has a billullo and has been walking around Tegucigalpa since he arrived. His fins already stink, but with the pisto that he carries he gives him for any chunche ».
- We bought a minimum of a bichín in the street, the poor thing was chuña and was half an avocado, but when he saw the ratatouille he was happier than a cipote eating rosquete.
- We laugh from the chupadero and leave the scream without paying. I told him that he can't get rid of a cheto if he already lives with another one.
- The bus was stripped down and in a dark room I thought we were going to clap. She almost gave a patatús and me the zurumbo had me shake.
References
- CasitaCopán - 10 words that only make sense in Honduras casitacopan.org
- El Heraldo - Honduran regionalisms and idioms with their meaning elheraldo.hn
- HonduraTips - Hondurans or Hondura regionalisms hondurastips.hn
- La Virtud Lempira - Honduranisms, regionalisms or idioms! lavirtudlempirahonduras.blogspot.com
- Born in Honduras - Honduranisms nacerenhonduras.com
El Heraldo - Honduras creates words for Latin America elheraldo.hn