Casa del Cordón Taíno Cultural Center examines Hispaniola’s linguistic origins

Santo Domingo.- The Casa del Cordón Taíno Cultural Center, an initiative of Banco Popular Dominicano, hosted the discussion “Voices of the Island: Original Languages of Hispaniola,” highlighting the island’s pre-Columbian linguistic diversity and the lasting influence of Taíno on modern Caribbean Spanish.

The event featured anthropologist Leonardo Nin and researcher Rafael García Bidó, who explored how multiple indigenous languages coexisted on Hispaniola before 1492, with Taíno serving as the main means of communication. They explained that, although considered extinct, Taíno continues to shape everyday speech in the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, and Cuba through preserved words, sounds, and expressions.

Speakers also presented research on the reconstruction of Taíno phonology and its linguistic features, showing how terms like “maíz,” “iguana,” and “bejuco” reveal traces of the language’s structure and pronunciation. The discussion underscored the importance of linguistic studies in understanding Dominican cultural identity, while reinforcing the cultural center’s role in promoting heritage and research initiatives.