Manitos speech and Ladino
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Victor, the only one who still speaks with that accent and uses those words
that sound strange or are unknown to Mexicans is my Aunt Emilia who is 92 years old and is the last of her generation. I have heard that many descendants of 16th and 17th century Spanish settlers have discovered their Sephardic roots which explains to them many of their ancestors particular habits, but my mother and her other siblings would not hear of it if they were alive. They considered themselves "Spanish" and denied being Indian, but lately my aunt has spoken of their Indian blood (Piro/Manso/Tewa---Pueblo tribes). I haven't heard that speech since my mother died in 1985 and I live far from my aunt who has remained in the Mesilla Valley of New Mexico all her life, so I can't think of any particular word or phrase. I will ask my husband, since he used to make fun of their speech (he would imitate them to their faces!) and he would ask me where my mother got certain words that he had |