Posted by Asturias has its own language, llingua asturiana or asturianu (Asturian). We use many Asturian words when we speak Spanish which form part of the everyday vocabulary of Asturians (see the glossary at the end of this post).
But you also have to bear in mind the following tips:
•If someone calls you bobín or bobina (nitwit, silly billy, dumbhead), don’t be upset. More than an insult, it is an affectionate turn of speech. You should be more worried if they call you babayu (fool, halfwit, prat).
•If someone calls you vida or vidina (love, lovey), don’t think they are trying to flirt with you. It is an affectionate way we have of addressing people, even though we do not know them.
•Don’t take it the wrong way, either, if you hear “¡Vaya repunante que estás hoy!”. They don’t mean you are repugnant, just that you are being fussy or finicky.
•Here, everything ends in the diminutive -ín (masculine) or –ina (feminine). It has nothing to do with size. It’s just to make it more our own. It even serves to include “please”:¿Me pones un cafetín? (Can I have a ‘wee’ coffee?).
•While here in Xixón, as we like boasting, we also use the augmentative (-ón, -ona) a lot. For instance, la Escalerona, el Molinón, la Iglesiona, la Acerona, la Fabricona, les Letrones, and so on.
•By the way, for sidra (cider), we also say sidrina. Not “sidriña”!
•And you will have noticed, we place pronouns last and we always use the simple past: ¿Entendístelo? (Did you understand?).
•Note! The ending for masculine singular nouns is -u, the plural is -os. The ending for feminine singular nouns is –a, the plural is -es. “Vaque” (cow) and “fabe” (bean) do not exist. It is vaca and faba. Plural: vaques and fabes.
•Not everyone has a strong accent, but you will notice if they are Asturian, because the use ye instead of es (is): ¿Qué hora ye? (What time is it?); ¿Onde ye? (Where is it); ¡Qué guapu ye! (It’s so pretty/nice!); ¡Ye lo qu’hai! (That’s what there is!); and so on.
•Everything is guapo (pretty, nice). Bonito is a fish.
•For emphasis, we end sentences in ¡Ho!, which is the shortened form of home (man). You may also hear ¡Ne! at the end, if you are a muyer (woman).
• “Vete a ver la ballena” (Go and see the whale) is not an invitation to a tourist attraction to see the local wildlife. It means “get lost”.
•Ah! And if there is something we like that is also endearing to us, we say “nos presta” or “ye prestosu”.
GLOSSARY:
•Abondo: lots, plenty
•A esgaya: a lot
•Afayadizu: something nice to be or participate in
•Amagüestu: a traditional festivity
•Antroxu: Lent carnival
•Cachopo: the local version of cordon bleu or schnitzel; i.e. deep-fried veal coated in breadcrumbs stuffed with cheese and cured ham or cured beef, which may take on epic proportions!
•Caleya: lane or narrow, short street
•Chigre: (cider) bar
•Chiscar: splash
•Duernu: container for collecting apple juice as it is being pressed. “Del duernu” cider is the juice from pressed apples.
•Emburriar: push
•Escamplar: the act of the sky clearing up
•Esfamiáu: starving, very hungry
•Espicha: the action of opening a barrel of cider. Accordingly applied to every party or picnic where cider is the main drink.
•Fabada: the most emblematic of Asturian dishes, a rich stew consisting of white beans (fabes) and pork products (compango)
•Fame: hunger
•Fartucar: eat a lot, stuff yourself
•Folixa: fiesta, partying
•Foriatu: stranger, foreigner
•Forrar: eat while drinking or before drinking to offset the effects of alcohol or not to be hungry for a good while
•Frixuelos: crepes
•Gabitu (echar un): give a helping hand
•Guaje: lad
•Home: man
•Mancar: harm, hurt
•Marchar: leave
•Mozu/a: boyfriend/girlfriend
•Muyer: woman
•Orbayu: drizzle
•Oricios: sea urchins
•Picadillo: roughly chopped spicy pork
•Picar: knock on the door or ring the doorbell
•Pota: cooking pot
•Pote asturiano: a rich stew consisting of white beans, potatoes, winter greens and pork products
•Prau: field, meadow
•Preñáu: filled
•Prestar: to please
•Rodillo: tea towel
•Tendal: clothes line
•Uviéu: Oviedo
•Xaréu: racket, ruckus, fiesta, party
•Xixón: Gijón
