MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Spanish language Royal Academy incorporates the word “Che” to its latest dictionary edition

“Che” is a characteristic term in the Spanish spoken in Argentina and Uruguay, and is a friendly, informal way of addressing a person.

The River Plate word “che,” (‘chey’ in Falklands), has been officially incorporated into the latest edition of the Spanish Real Academy in recognition of the dynamic and inclusive Spanish language and its many linguistic versions in Latin America.

 “Che” is a characteristic term in the Spanish spoken in Argentina and Uruguay, and is a friendly, informal way of addressing a person.

The incorporation of ‘Che’ to the official Spanish language dictionary underlines the significance that the Spanish Royal Academy grants to expressions even when of popular roots, a kind of argot, they reflect the identity of millions of Spanish speaking peoples and their different syncretic cultural backgrounds.

The same can be said of River Plate expressions such as “pibe” or “bondi” or “laburar” , that can be translated as, ‘kid’, ‘urban bus’ and ‘work’, and are fully integrated to the regional way of understanding.

“Che” is defined as a familiar, comradeship expression, and a symbol that goes beyond a simple interjection to become part of the River Plate Spanish cultural essence. The expression has also gained global notoriety partly thanks to figures such as “Che Guevara”, the Argentine/Cuban revolutionary who turned it into a global icon through his speeches and writings.

Such words deeply imbedded in the River Plate common language represent recognition from the Spanish Language Royal Academy of regional variations but also confirms it is a live language which adapts and evolves according to the customs and necessities of Spanish language speakers.

For the River Plate peoples the inclusion in the official dictionary of such words so representative of their idiosyncrasies, is an honor and underlines the influence of the Hispanic speaking world, and facilitates speakers of other Spanish speaking regions to understand the terms without a loss of its essence and major respect for the diversity of Spanish.

This acknowledgement of such terms not only supports the identity of those who appeal to such a jargon, but also celebrates the diversity of a language in standing evolution, kept alive through the creativity and expressions of its inhabitants.