Question about the word Twins in spanish

[Spanglish]

Ok Im aware that there is the word gemelos for twins which is very common also cuates i belive is spelled correctly, My godfather who
is Cuban calls them and forgive me for slandering the word imagues
which I had never heard of and it must be an old term for them from
back in the day... is that correct? has anyone else heard of that term?
Ive googled it and nothing so Im hoping there is someone from Cuba that
has heard the term and can help a poor white man out here with the word and the spelling of it??? Please? Thanks so much and its my first posting
on here and If I can help someone out I will gladly do so... without being
hipocritical or HATING like you kids like to say know.. yeah Im on up there
a tad bit... I aint givin out my age.. cuz it aint nutin but a number!!! LOL
thanks in advance for your help! David T

[poli]

Cuates are twins or a matching pair.
Mellizos is another word for twins more international than cuates which is a term that may not cross the Atlantic.

[pjt33]

Originally Posted by poli

Cuates are twins or a matching pair.
Mellizos is another word for twins more international than cuates which is a term that may not cross the Atlantic.

Mellizos isn't universal though, either. I've had to explain it to an Ecuadorean friend.

[CrOtALiTo]

Originally Posted by Spanglish

Ok Im aware that there is the word gemelos for twins which is very common also cuates i belive is spelled correctly, My godfather who
is Cuban calls them and forgive me for slandering the word imagues
which I had never heard of and it must be an old term for them from
back in the day... is that correct? has anyone else heard of that term?
Ive googled it and nothing so Im hoping there is someone from Cuba that
has heard the term and can help a poor white man out here with the word and the spelling of it??? Please? Thanks so much and its my first posting
on here and If I can help someone out I will gladly do so... without being
hipocritical or HATING like you kids like to say know.. yeah Im on up there
a tad bit... I aint givin out my age.. cuz it aint nutin but a number!!! LOL
thanks in advance for your help! David T

I have never heard that word, only I know about the word Cuates or Gemelos, I believe that each country has own slandering between people.


But I believe that if you say gemelos everyone will understand you instead of you it of another way.

[Spanglish]

Mellizos is also another name for twins which I had forgotten about too, yes you are right about that... I dont know I just got a hair up my ... and was wondering about the origin of the word imagues or it might be himagues since the H is silent? who knows... thanks everyone for your helpful input!!! David

[Ambarina]

There's a difference between "gemelos" and "mellizos", at least on this side of the Atlantic.
Gemelos are identical twins
Mellizos are non-identical twins

[pjt33]

Originally Posted by Ambarina

There's a difference between "gemelos" and "mellizos", at least on this side of the Atlantic.
Gemelos are identical twins
Mellizos are non-identical twins

That's what the RAE says, but it's not necessarily what Spaniards actually use. I've heard a Spanish lady, probably in her 60s, describe two identical twins as mellizos.

[Perikles]

This problem reminds me of when I was with an Italian girl who saw a large pram (cochecito). "Look" she said - "two twins". Then, on further inspection "No - it's three twins".

[AngelicaDeAlquezar]

@Spanglish: The Cuban word you're looking for is "jimaguas".

[Spanglish]

Yes thats true too!! both are born at the same time but they are not identical twins... as I stated I dont know what the definition is of imagues.. it kinda sounds like IMAGES in english... so i would assume which makes an ass out of mainly me
gosh i dont know.. Its a term used by the older generation perhaps by the afro cuban people perhaps... that is where he was raised around... so Florida if your out there and have an abuelo or abuela and not the 35 year old one.. im talking about the 70 /80 year old that grew up there i dont know.. no disrespect to anyone by that comment Im just saying i figure that is where it might have come from.. Ay Dios Mio..Just seem to be going no where fast.. and its no big deal really but you know.. things sometimes bug you,, and you want to know something just to know... well thats my dilema.. im not being anal about this am I? dont answer that!! LOL thanks guys and ladies!!! cuz you the smart ones out there!! David

jimaguas? REALLY.... where did you hear this and what is your definition of the word ??? THANKYOU SO MUCH, Gosh I thought i was lost... Tell me more please...
THANKYOU SO MUCH!!!!

Originally Posted by AngelicaDeAlquezar

@Spanglish: The Cuban word you're looking for is "jimaguas".

So my love where did you hear this from and what is your definition because Ive looked it up in dictionaries and NOTHING so Im just wondering and needing some guidance to keep me out of total ignorance... did I say thankyou enough???

[AngelicaDeAlquezar]

I'm glad we were able to help. Please try to avoid posting many messages in a row, to avoid confusion for other users.

I can't say much, because that's not a word I knew; I asked someone who has Cuban acquaintances.
But you can find it in the RAE dictionary or google "jimagua" or "jimaguas" and you'll find translations and maybe some more about its usage.

[Jessica]

bienvenido

[Cubana]

Yes, jimaguas is Cuban for twins. It is the term my family uses to refer to my twin cousins. Even though it is the h which should be silent in the Spanish language, usually when we say this word you can't hear the j.

if i were to do a proununciation of how it sounds with the english alphabet it would look like this:

EE ma guas (hard g like goat and soft a like apple in both places).

hence the mistaken feeling that it may start with an h; but it doesn't.

i hope this helped

[sosia]

Bienvenida Cubana, gracias por la información