Glossary

Selected Spanish terms in In the Time of the Butterflies

abrazos - hugs

Adios con el corazon - goodbye with the heart

alela - Dominican folk term for the soul of an infant

amorcito - my love

Arroz con leche - rice pudding

Ay, Dios mio! - Oh, my God!

Ay Minerva, por Dios - Minerva, for God's sake!

bandidos - bandits

barrios - neighborhoods

brujo - warlock

Benefactor's Day - day dedicated to Trujillo, Benefactor of the country

bodega - warehouse

bohio - ramuda

cafecito - cup of coffee

calmante - relaxant, tranquilizer

companeras - companions

capitaleno - person from the capital

caramba - darn! dang!

catarrh - a cold

cedula - identification

centavos - cents

cervecita - a beer

chao - Italian for goodbye

compadre - "co-father," relationship through baptism of a child

compay - variation of "compadre"

complot Develado! - plot revealed!

conuco - plantation

Cosas de los hombres - things that men do

critica - criticism

Cuba libre! - Free Cuba

Desgraciado - unfortunate one

diario - daily, could be newspaper, etc.

Dios - God

Dios mios - My God

Dios santo - Holy God

Dios te bendiga - God bless you

Dominus vobiscum - Latin for God be with you

doña - title of respect that goes before a woman's first name

dulce leche - "sweet milk," a dessert

El Foro Publico - the public forum

el gato - the cat

El Jefe - the boss/chief

el ratoncito - the little mouse

el senor - the gentleman/man

Epa! - Wow!

Exactamente! - Exactly!

fulanitos - those guys, what's their names

fundillos - butts, behinds

gallera - cock fight arena

gracias - thank you

gringa dominicana - Americanized female Dominican

guayabera - tropical dress shirt for men

guardia - guard

Hola, prima - Hello, cousin

hombre - man

indirecta - indirect, usually refers to a sly comment about someone

la bendicion - the blessing

la senorita - the young woman

limonada - lemonade

llorona - crybaby

luto - mourning

madre - mother

Maria Santesima! - Holy Mary!

mercado - market

mi amor - my love

m'ija, m'ijita, m'ijo my daughter, my son

mil gracias - a thousand thanks

mis hijas - my daughters

muchas gracias - many thanks

mujer - woman

mujeronas - voluptuous or easy women

novio - boyfriend

Palomino vive - Palomino lives

pastelitos - meat filled pastries

patrimonio - patrimony

peseta - Dominican currency

platano - plantain

por Dios! - By God!

por favor - please

pobrecita(s) - poor thing(s)

promesa - promise

pudenda - private parts

Que cosa, Jefe - What is it, Boss/Chief

Que mierda privado? - What shit, private?

Que placer! - What pleasure!

quinceanera - a coming of age party for fifteen year old girls

rancho - ranch, farm

sancocho - Dominican stew with lots of vegetables

Sarampion - measles

Si Dios quiere - God willing

Si, Senora - Yes, ma'am

Sin verguenzas - rascals, or stronger term indicating brazen begavior

Soc Asuncion - Sister Asuncion

Tan afuera de la cosa - So out of everything

Tejas - Texas

tia,tio - aunt, uncle

un abrazo - a hug

Un clavo saca otro clavo - One nail takes out another

Vandidades - Vanities (a magazine)

Virgencita - Virgin (Mary)

Viva la Mariposa!/Vivan las Mariposas! - Long live the Butterfly(ies)!

Viva Trujillo! - Long live Trujillo!

Voz del pueblo, voz del cielo - voice of the people, voice of the heavans

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