Bozal Spanish is a possibly extinct

Spanish-based creole language A Spanish creole (), or Spanish-based creole language, is a creole language (contact language with native speakers) for which Spanish serves as its substantial '' lexifier''. A number of creole languages are influenced to varying degrees by th ...

pidgin A pidgin , or pidgin language, is a grammatically simplified form of contact language that develops between two or more groups of people that do not have a language in common: typically, its vocabulary and grammar are limited and often drawn f ...

that may have been a mixture of Spanish and Kikongo, with Portuguese influences. Attestation is insufficient to indicate whether Bozal Spanish was ever a single, coherent or stable language, or if the term merely referred to any idiolect of Spanish that included African elements.

Etymology

''Bozal'' is the Spanish word for " muzzle", and shares it etymology with the word

bosal A bosal (, , or ) is a type of noseband used on the classic hackamore of the ''vaquero'' tradition. It is usually made of braided rawhide (textile), rawhide and is fitted to the horse in a manner that allows it to rest quietly until the ride ...

. In their New World colonies, the Spaniards distinguished between '' negros ladinos''
esclavo ladino
' in the Diccionario de la Real Academia Española. ("Latinate Negroes", those who had spent more than a year in a Spanish-speaking territory) and ''negros bozales'' (wild, untamed Negroes; those born in or freshly arrived from Africa). Similarly, the Portuguese distinguished between (tamed,

domesticated Domestication is a multi-generational mutualistic relationship in which an animal species, such as humans or leafcutter ants, takes over control and care of another species, such as sheep or fungi, to obtain from them a steady supply of reso ...

Indians) and (untamed, wild Indians), and between or (Black creoles born in the territory of a European empire) and or (blacks born in Africa) ( has now become the main anti-black slur in

Brazilian Portuguese Brazilian Portuguese (; ; also known as pt-BR) is the set of Variety (linguistics), varieties of Portuguese language native to Brazil. It is spoken by almost all of the 203 million inhabitants of Brazil and widely across the Brazilian diaspora ...

, whereas the Spanish

cognate In historical linguistics, cognates or lexical cognates are sets of words that have been inherited in direct descent from an etymological ancestor in a common parent language. Because language change can have radical effects on both the s ...

, ''

criollo Criollo or criolla (Spanish for creole) may refer to: People * Criollo people, a social class in the Spanish colonial system. Animals * Criollo duck, a species of duck native to Central and South America. * Criollo cattle, a group of cattle bre ...

'' came to refer to Hispanoamerican whites and castizos).

Historic use

Bozal Spanish was spoken by African slaves in

Cuba Cuba, officially the Republic of Cuba, is an island country, comprising the island of Cuba (largest island), Isla de la Juventud, and List of islands of Cuba, 4,195 islands, islets and cays surrounding the main island. It is located where the ...

,Clements, J. Clancy
"Bozal Spanish of Cuba"
, ''The Linguistic Legacy of Spanish and Portuguese'', Cambridge University Press, 2009. 9780511576171

Uruguay Uruguay, officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay, is a country in South America. It shares borders with Argentina to its west and southwest and Brazil to its north and northeast, while bordering the Río de la Plata to the south and the A ...

and other areas of

South South is one of the cardinal directions or compass points. The direction is the opposite of north and is perpendicular to both west and east. Etymology The word ''south'' comes from Old English ''sūþ'', from earlier Proto-Germanic ''*sunþa ...

and

Central America Central America is a subregion of North America. Its political boundaries are defined as bordering Mexico to the north, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean to the east, and the Pacific Ocean to the southwest. Central America is usually ...

from the 17th century up until its possible extinction at around 1850.Lipski, John M
"Where and how does bozal Spanish survive?"
''Spanish in Contact: Policy, Social and Linguistic Inquiries'', John Benjamins Publishing Co., 2007. Although Bozal Spanish is extinct as a language, its influence still exists. In some Cuban folk religious rituals today, people speak what they call "Bozal". Similarly, many songs of the

afro The afro is a hair style created by combing out natural growth of afro-textured hair, or specifically styled with chemical curling products by individuals with naturally curly or straight hair.Garland, Phyl"Is The Afro On Its Way Out?" '' Ebo ...

genre, which flourished in Cuba in the 1930s and '40s, contain lyrics reminiscent of the language. In

Puerto Rico ; abbreviated PR), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, is a Government of Puerto Rico, self-governing Caribbean Geography of Puerto Rico, archipelago and island organized as an Territories of the United States, unincorporated territo ...

''esclavos bozales'' were slaves ("esclavos") brought from Africa, as opposed to those born in Puerto Rico from slaves. Such slaves spoke different languages, other than Spanish, which they eventually learned while enslaved. These slaves were primarily used in the fields and agriculture as opposed to those born under bondage who were generally used in domestic chores.Fernando Picó. ''Ponce y los rostros rayados: sociedad y esclavitud, 1800-1830.'' San Juan, Puerto Rico: Ediciones Huracán. 2012. p. 151.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bozal Spanish Afro-Cuban culture African diaspora in Puerto Rico Afro-Uruguayan culture Democratic Republic of the Congo diaspora Republic of the Congo diaspora History of Puerto Rico Kongo language Portuguese-Caribbean culture Spanish-based pidgins and creoles Languages extinct in the 1850s Languages of the African diaspora Spanish language in the Americas Creoles of the Americas

Etymology

Historic use

See also

References