"Canariedad, what identifies us as a people, is our dialect. There are also other relevant cultural aspects, but the linguistic one is fundamental," begins José Antonio Martín Corujo, member of the Canarian Academy of Language and born in San Bartolomé, during an interview with La Voz on the occasion of Canary Islands Day to talk about the risks facing the Canarian dialect with the current demographic growth.
This dialect of Spanish, which is composed of its phonetics, but also its lexicon and particular grammar, "has been permeating in recent years, deriving into the pride of Spanish in the Canary Islands," he emphasizes. Compared to times when its use was denigrated. "None of the varieties of Spanish is better or worse. That has been permeating more and more," he highlights.
"The main risk is determined, as in any other place, by globalization," says the expert. Thus, he assures that this situation is aggravated "especially in our land, which is a tourist land." Despite this, Martín Corujo is optimistic and assures that "our dialect will remain alive" thanks to its peculiar phonetics.
This expert in the use of language explains that, together with phonetics, part of the lexicon of the Canary Islands "will never be lost." Thus, he estimates that "everything that has to do with flora, fauna, toponymy" will remain in the linguistic culture of the archipelago, as well as other concepts such as "gofio, guagua, baifo" and other words that are part of the daily use of language.
In recent years, José Antonio Martín indicates that with the loss of economic activities, the lexicon associated with them has also disappeared. For example, activities related to the cultivation of the land or fishing.
During the telephone interview, he explains that although the lexicon is becoming obsolete, it is important to preserve and record it. "The past must be read because we find much of what we have to do in the present. If we don't collect it, it would be lost," he continues. One of the tasks of the Canarian Academy of Language is to collect the lexicon of the islands, both the one that is in force and the one that has been lost.
The risks of globalization and English
At the time when local terms are replaced by Anglicisms, the history of the Canary Islands shows that, on occasions, "we change, we modify" terms in English to Canarianize them, going "almost to the phonic of how it would be pronounced in the original language."
For example, in the Canary Islands, new terms have been incorporated derived from the exchange of agricultural goods with the United Kingdom and Ireland. Among them, the name of the potatoes, for example Chinegua or Quinegua, which comes from the English King Edward, or the Autodate potato, which came from the sacks of potatoes imported in which you could read Up to Date.
At the same time, he explains that Anglicisms, spread rapidly through the internet, have an impact "especially on young people" and influence the conservation of the Canarian dialect. For example, the use of the concept 'bro', from the English brother, which has become popular among the younger populations and is used as a greeting, where previously other concepts such as chacho were used. "There will be terms that will arrive here and surely we will give them some twist and they will end up being somewhat modified words," he adds.
Martín Corujo describes it as "lamentable" that public institutions are committed to promoting sports or cultural events in the archipelago in English. "It seems that in order to transcend, you have to use English, but we have our words to be able to indicate the same thing," he adds.
The Canarian, "a rarity" in some municipalities
In some municipalities of Lanzarote, but also in Fuerteventura, Gran Canaria and Tenerife, the Canarian population is a minority compared to foreign residents, especially from the United Kingdom, Ireland, Italy, Germany or Morocco.
For example, in Yaiza 46.7% of the population was born abroad, while only 31.9% were born in the Canary Islands. The conejero municipality is the one with the fewest Canarian inhabitants and the one with the largest peninsular population. This is followed by Tías, where Canarians are 48.4% and foreigners 43.1%; as well as Teguise, with 59.1% Canarians, 24.1% foreigners and 16.8% peninsulars.
"When the foreign population exceeds the native population, it is possible that many cultures will begin to be imposed," he says. "The difficulty of the Canarians themselves to obtain a residence is somewhat regrettable and leads them to move away from nuclei of nuclei where the Canarians end up being almost a rarity," he adds.
