Royal Spanish Academy adds 100 Cuban terms to dictionary

The Royal Spanish Academy (RAE) and the Association of Academies of the Spanish Language (ASALE) have released the 24th edition of the Dictionary of the Spanish Language (DLE). This new edition officially incorporates 100 Cubanisms selected by experts following a research process.

Key additions include “asere” and its variant “acere,” which refer to a close friend or a term of confidence. Other notable terms include “cocotaxi,” a motorized tricycle used for urban transport, and “agromercado,” a marketplace for agricultural products.

The 24th edition is the first to be conceived primarily in a digital format before being adapted for print. It contains 99,990 articles, approximately 209,000 definitions, and over 6,000 updates, including new terms and modifications. The Cuban Academy of Language noted that this inclusion recognizes the diversity of the Spanish spoken in Cuba.