[5] ¿Cómo te va? How are you? In certain parts of the River Plate region the colloquial forms of verbs in the second person familiar are usually accompanied by the vocative che, probably of Valencian (Spain) origin. The forms «¡Hola, che!» «¿Cómo te va, che?» are used by all classes in Argentina.
[6] Soy Arturo, It is I, Arthur (speaking). VARIANT: Soy yo, It is I.
[7] ¡Al fin se te ve...! At last you are to be seen! Note use of reflexive pronoun. VARIANTS: Al fin te veo, or te vemos.
[8] se te ha pegado, you have caught (as if referring to a contagious disease).
[9] tonada, the sing-song inflection. Refers to the inflection of the voice peculiar to each Spanish American country. In the northern part of South America they call such accent dialecto and in Chile deje.
[10] De casa de Jacinto, From Jacinto’s house. The forms lo de—and de donde—are extensively used on both the Atlantic and Pacific coasts of South America, and each corresponds to the French chez. Voy a lo de Jacinto, or donde Jacinto, I am going to Jacinto’s.
[11] ¿Qué es de...? What has become of...?
[12] ¿Cómo está tu gente? How are your people (folks, family)? VARIANTS: ¿Cómo está tu familia? ¿Cómo están por tu casa? ¿Cómo están (or siguen) los tuyos?
[13] Buena, i.e., mi gente está buena, They are well. VARIANTS: Están bien; están todos buenos.
[14] misia Carolina (mi sea, short for mi señora. A familiar, affectionate form employed in addressing old ladies in Spanish America).