WHY COSTA RICAN ARE CALLED TICOS AND TICAS
If you visit Costa Rica you maybe should know about the tendency Ticos have, adding the suffix “tico”, “tica” at the end of some words!
Costa Rica is a (“pequeñitica”) small country, where its sky is (“azulitico”) very blue and its people enjoy their fresh coffee (“acabaditico de hacer)”! In Costa Rica something small becomes “chiquitico”, a small or lovely cat becomes “gatico”, or someone deeply asleep becomes “dormiditico”!
During the Central American War in the years 1856-1857 the fighters of the allies of Costa Rica noticed that we had the habit of adding this suffix “tico” at the end of some words, so since then, this diminutive became part of our folklore and the rest of the Central Americans easily identify us by that peculiar way of speaking.
Most Costa Ricans tend to be loving and kind. Therefore, by adding this diminutive to the words, we also add a certain level of tenderness and warmth in conversations.
As we also love to use diminutives almost for every word in order to speak rapidly, it is simpler and shorter to refer to us as “Ticos” instead of costarricenses!
So, when visiting Costa Rica be alert to identify that suffix in some of the words we say … and why not … try to learn at least one of those words!
