Estuve o estaba + gerundio

[tacuba]

Originally Posted by chileno

My point was slang... slang is not the correct way to speak any language, however it is used.

Some people will cringe at it, others will not. :-)

Some people will know the correct way, whether they use slang, some people will not know how to use the correct way. :-)
Hernan.

I think we have to differentiate between slang and idiomatic usage. In English, if we use "drop in", it has a different shade of meaning than to simply say "some friends came by" or "some friends visited us". In the case of "drop in", it is used to imply that the visit was perhaps unexpected. In the case of "came by", the distinction is not being made as to the visit being expected or unexpected. This is not slang. It is an idiomatic usage that has made it's way into common, everyday usage and is understood by English speakers everywhere.

I'm all for speaking a language properly, but if you only learn to speak and understand "proper Spanish", I'm afraid that 50% of the conversations you will hear (at least in my neighborhood) will be unintelligible.

[laepelba]

I'll have to agree with Tacuba on this - the phrase "dropped by" has an important distinction and should not be ignored as less than "proper" English. It definitely has the feeling of unexpected, and is definitely different than the other examples given. I would definitely not call it slang, as much as colloquial or "idiomatic" as he said.....

[chileno]

Originally Posted by tacuba

I think we have to differentiate between slang and idiomatic usage. In English, if we use "drop in", it has a different shade of meaning than to simply say "some friends came by" or "some friends visited us". In the case of "drop in", it is used to imply that the visit was perhaps unexpected. In the case of "came by", the distinction is not being made as to the visit being expected or unexpected. This is not slang. It is an idiomatic usage that has made it's way into common, everyday usage and is understood by English speakers everywhere.

I'm all for speaking a language properly, but if you only learn to speak and understand "proper Spanish", I'm afraid that 50% of the conversations you will hear (at least in my neighborhood) will be unintelligible.

I might be wrong, but I think "...an idiomatic usage that has made its way into common language." Was once slang, ain't it? ;->

I hate people when they say that this or that language is dynamic.

Well, I do not hate them literally, much less personally.

Hernan

[Tomisimo]

Language does change, and it's a good thing. It changes in response to our environment and culture. Idiomatic and slang usage is common and must be accepted as part of the language.

[laepelba]

Originally Posted by Tomisimo

Language does change, and it's a good thing. It changes in response to our environment and culture. Idiomatic and slang usage is common and must be accepted as part of the language.

Yes, because what would the English language be without the words "e-mail" or "internet"!!??

[chileno]

Hi Tomisimo and Laepelba,

Originally Posted by Tomisimo

Language does change, and it's a good thing. It changes in response to our environment and culture. Idiomatic and slang usage is common and must be accepted as part of the language.

Yes. Exactly my point, as to today being slang, tomorrow being accepted because of idiomatic/culture motives, and then maybe the correct way to express something.

However, we have the RAE. What is the equivalent in English? I see two currents of thoughts being always clashing. I do not remember the names, but I think one is Oxford I cannot name the other one. I am getting old or Am I missing the point here? :/

Originally Posted by laepelba

Yes, because what would the English language be without the words "e-mail" or "internet"!!??

Yup! There are always new words because of technology advancing inexorably into the future. :-)

Hernan

[laepelba]

Originally Posted by chileno

However, we have the RAE. What is the equivalent in English? I see two currents of thoughts being always clashing. I do not remember the names, but I think one is Oxford I cannot name the other one. I am getting old or Am I missing the point here? :/

Hernan

It is my understanding that there is no official "regulator" for the English language. I have read about it in a couple of places - you can take a look at this list in Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of...age_regulators

And this list actually mentions "standards" set by Oxford (UK) and Webster's (US): http://www.aboutlanguageschools.com/...ge/regulators/

But aren't these major dictionaries/standards regularly updated? This is also related to one of David's recent blog posts here at Tomísimo about Spanish words we need to use before they are removed from the dictionary.....

[tacuba]

Originally Posted by chileno

I might be wrong, but I think "...an idiomatic usage that has made its way into common language." Was once slang, ain't it? ;->

I hate people when they say that this or that language is dynamic.

Well, I do not hate them literally, much less personally.

Hernan

Well, I think we are going to have to agree to disagree on this issue.

But, don't you agree that when someone like Laepelba is visiting Mexico, and she hears "te caigo mañana", it is better that she understands what is being said, and doesn't walk around the following day looking toward the heavens, fearing for her safety?

When we first moved here, our neighbors would greet us in the morning with "¿cómo amaneciste?". I looked in the dictionary, found the verb amanecer, and thought they were asking me "how did you dawn?", or "how did you awake?" This made no sense until we realized that it was just a colloquial way of saying "how did you sleep?".

For me, the purpose of learning Spanish is to be able to communicate with my friends and neighbors. In order to do this, I must be able to understand what is being said, whether it be "proper" or "slang" or "idiomatic", or whatever, because the language "is what it is", and it won't change to accomodate my sensibilities.

I'm reminded of a Mexican friend who is learning English, when he complained to me; "how can you chop a tree down, and then chop it up"?

[laepelba]

Originally Posted by tacuba

But, don't you agree that when someone like Laepelba is visiting Mexico, and she hears "te caigo mañana", it is better that she understands what is being said, and doesn't walk around the following day looking toward the heavens, fearing for her safety?

Uh oh ... is the sky really falling??

Originally Posted by tacuba

I'm reminded of a Mexican friend who is learning English, when he complained to me; "how can you chop a tree down, and then chop it up"?

You made me totally laugh right out loud!!

[chileno]

Originally Posted by laepelba

It is my understanding that there is no official "regulator" for the English language. I have read about it in a couple of places - you can take a look at this list in Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of...age_regulators

And this list actually mentions "standards" set by Oxford (UK) and Webster's (US): http://www.aboutlanguageschools.com/...ge/regulators/

But aren't these major dictionaries/standards regularly updated? This is also related to one of David's recent blog posts here at Tomísimo about Spanish words we need to use before they are removed from the dictionary.....

Thanks, And it was Webster's the other "current of thought" :-)

:-)