Chona, is this a name? - ¿es un nome?

Question

In a passage intended to illustrate the use of either the indicative or "subjuntivo" after "hasta que" and "meintras," I read the word "Chona." The passage is from Juan Rulfo's Pedro Páramo . In the passage, the protagonist addresses a woman, whom I suppose he is addressing by name. However, he also uses "Bella" and other words which are clearly words of endearment.

Is "Chona" such a word? or is it a common name, unfamiliar to me with so little experience of a Latin-american or Spanish culture. In the same passage, he speaks also of a "Julana," by the way. I easily recognize that as a name. But Juliana is not Chona! I make out that much from the context.

Gracias.

Answer 1

"Chona" is also a nickname. I don't know for what name.
There was a show in Argentina on the 70's conducted by a character using this nickname.

http://www.telewiki.com.ar/index.php/Almorfando_con_la_Chona

Answer 2

words that I do not know: "amerindio" (I can guess!),

I'm glad that you could guess, because the English word Amerind (sometimes written as Amerindian) is a wonderful word that I am personally trying to promote through my own small contributions. Its qualities include:

It has been in use for over 100 years.
It does not make a ridiculous confusion of peoples from two different continents.
It does not leave the people of the second-largest nation in the world without a unique name.
It does not offend anyone (well, I suppose some people will be offended by anything).
It is easy to say and write.
Its meaning can be intuited even upon its first encounter (as you have proven here).

Please help spread the word!

Answer 3

How interesting! In fact, I happened upon that source, the "Real Academia Española" when searching for the meaning of words from a list of words with diaeresis that Lazarus posted for me once. Now, of course, I have to look up all those other words that I do not know: "amerindio" (I can guess!), "extinguido" (again, I might get close by guessing if this is not a "false friend" for "extinguished" and "austral." But the other entries are easy for my level of Spanish! Thank you, thank you.

By the way, before posting, I searched on the Internet to find a bit about Juan Rulfo. He himself is not Chilean but rather Mexican. The Wikipedia entry describes this slender book but does not mention in which country the story takes place. Perhaps i must read the whole thing. How fortunate that it is a short novel.

Quentin said:

¿Es un nombre'

Answer 4

Yes, I speak Italian, but not very well....just enough to thoroughly confuse me learning Spanish. To wit: ¿es un nombre? (and pps, I have just employed a construct "me [as I am] learning" instead of "my learning" that was the topic of another thread. I might have used "my learning," in fact, but there would have been a subtle difference in the meaning

If you had used the "my" form, you might have needed to add "of": just enough to thoroughly confuse my learning of Spanish.

The way you wrote it, it does sound a little rough (although many people speak and write that way), but you are correct that the meaning is different from the "my" construction above. Your version means "just enough to thoroughly confuse me, who is (or, while I am) learning Spanish." A more clear version might have been "just enough that it thoroughly confuses me while learning Spanish."

But this is definitely picking nits. I think your sentence was perfectly acceptable in the context of this forum.

Answer 5

Oh...yes, you are right, context would have been very helpful. In my defense, I am trying hard not to read until I absolutely have to! I am just listening to this passage (over and over again - I am fortunate that it is not boring!) I recorded the passage from an old tape onto a little MP3 player.

Actually, had I had more time, I might have found it helpful to write what I was hearing. I guess I should have found the time for this case before posing my question. Sorry.

I might have made a lot of errors in the text, though. You would be surprised what one "hears" when one does not really know the language!

ps. Yes, I speak Italian, but not very well....just enough to thoroughly confuse me learning Spanish. To wit: ¿es un nombre? (and pps, I have just employed a construct "me [as I am] learning" instead of "my learning" that was the topic of another thread. I might have used "my learning," in fact, but there would have been a subtle difference in the meaning

James Santiago said:

Janice, you must speak Italian (E un nome'). heheI don't know the answer to your question, but it would have been nice to see the actual context. I'll give it here in case it helps someone else answer.'... Mañana, en amaneciendo, te irás conmigo, Chona. Ya tengo aparejadas las bestias.'¿ Y si mi padre se muere de rabia? Con lo viejo que está... Nunca me perdonaría que por mi causa le pasara algo. Soy la única gente que tiene para hacerle hacer sus necesidades. Y no hay nadie más. ¿Qué prisa corres para robarme? Aguántate un poquito. ÿl no tardará en morirse.'Lo mismo me dijiste hace un año. Y hasta me echaste en cara mi falta de arriesgue, ya que tú estabas, según eso, harta de todo. He aprontado las mulas y están listas. ¿Te vas conmigo''Déjamelo pensar'¡Chona! No sabes cuánto me gustas. Yo no puedo aguantar las ganas, Chona. Así que te vas conmigo o te vas conmigo.

>

Answer 6

Janice, you must speak Italian (E un nome'). hehe

I don't know the answer to your question, but it would have been nice to see the actual context. I'll give it here in case it helps someone else answer.

'... Mañana, en amaneciendo, te irás conmigo, Chona. Ya tengo aparejadas las bestias.
'¿ Y si mi padre se muere de rabia? Con lo viejo que está... Nunca me perdonaría que por mi causa le pasara algo. Soy la única gente que tiene para hacerle hacer sus necesidades. Y no hay nadie más. ¿Qué prisa corres para robarme? Aguántate un poquito. ÿl no tardará en morirse.
'Lo mismo me dijiste hace un año. Y hasta me echaste en cara mi falta de arriesgue, ya que tú estabas, según eso, harta de todo. He aprontado las mulas y están listas. ¿Te vas conmigo?
'Déjamelo pensar
'¡Chona! No sabes cuánto me gustas. Yo no puedo aguantar las ganas, Chona. Así que te vas conmigo o te vas conmigo.

Answer 7

¿Es un nombre'