I was hanging out with my friends who are owners of one of the local Panaderías this morning when one of them taught me a new phrase. I got my hair cut the other day and he told me that "se puso al chaine", meaning that I made a change to my hair, or I cut my hair. If you know anything about Spanish pronunciation you may see or hear the resemblance between the words "chaine" and "change." This is one of the many Anglicisms of the Spanish language here in Costa Rica - perhaps in much of Latin America. It would be interesting to know if the phrase exists in other parts of the Spanish speaking world. However, my friend assured me that it only exists in Costa Rica.
Another Costarriqueñismo would be "chapear", which is a frequently used verb to describe the workers in the "campo" cutting weeds and vegetation with the machete. I could be wrong on the origin of the word, but I would bet that it comes from the English word "chop". Once again, I am curious to know if it is used in other parts of Latin America.
The Anglicism of the Spanish language is a somewhat contentious topic in Costa Rica, especially among intellectuals. I find it interesting. I plan to post more Costarriqueñismos in the future, so be on the lookout for them. And before I forget, Costarriqueñismos do not always signify a word borrowed from English, as it can also be a word specifically used here in Costa Rica.
Carlos
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