ENG
  • ENG
  • ESP
Cat got your tongue?
  • Home
  • News
  • Services
  • About me
  • Contact

English words with Spanish/Amerindian origins

October 12, 2018 at 4:09 pm, No comments


Last Friday, as well as being Pilar day, was also the Fiesta Nacional de España (formerly known as Hispanic Day), which marks Christopher Columbus´ first arrival in the Americas on 12th October 1492. The exploration of the New World brought British and Spanish conquistadors in contact with each other. Words given by the Spaniards to discoveries they made were also assimilated into the English language, which is why many anglicized Spanish words are related to the Golden Age and the colonization of the Americas. However, plenty of these adopted Spanish words have their roots in idigenous cultures, such as the Aztec, Arawakan, Inca and Mayan, mostly those of native American populations that were subjugated by the Spanish colonial empire. Although most Amerindian languages were wiped out during this period, many of their words still live on today in European languages.

Let's have a look at the Spanish/Amerindian influences on the English language. 

The Wild West

Let's face it. The first cowboys were Spanish speakers. The proof is in the vocabulary.

Buckaroo : an old word for a cowboy, this is an anglicization of vaquero

Chaps : originally used by cowboys to protect their legs when riding, from the Spanish word chaparreras

Rodeo : a bull-riding competition from the verb rodear

Desperado : used in the old West to describe a reckless criminal, from the Spanish adjective desesperado

Ranch : Rancho, meaning a small rural community

Stampede : from estampida

Lasso : a rope with a loop used to tie escaping cattle, from the Spanish word lazo. 

Ten-Gallon hat : there are 2 theories about the kind of hat a cowboy used to wear. Both have Spanish roots. The first is that the wearer was tan galán and the second is that the name comes from the galón worn around the hat.


Weather and Geography

Spain and other Spanish-speaking countries have some of the best weather. It's October and I'm still not wearing a coat. Where I'm from, that's reason enough to celebrate.

Breeze : from brisa  in Spanish

Sierra

Savanna : in Spanish sabana from the Caribbean Taíno language zabana

Canyon : from cañón  in Spanish

Parasol

Tornado

Hurricane : huracán in Spanish, from Taíno language hurákan

El Niño : fenómeno del Niño, literally, "the Christmas child" due to the warming of the Pacific waters around Christmas time

Food and Drink

Hispanic gastronomy is some of the most delicious there is. It's so good that both English and American cultures have adopted it into their cuisine. Here's proof in the language.

Avocado : anglicization of aguacate, from the Mexican Nahuatl word ahuacatl

Barbecue : Spanish barbacoa, from the Central American Chibcha word 

Chipotle : meaning “smoked chili pepper”, literally from Mexican Nahuatl  chilli + poctli (smoke)

Chocolate : pronounced "choclat" in English, from the Nahuatl word xocolatl (“hot water”)

Cocoa – Spanish cacao, from Nahuatl cacáhuatl

Chorizo : pronounced "chorítsou" in English

Guacamole : from Nahuatl ahuaca-molli, ahuacatl (“avocado”) + molli (“sauce”)

Oregano : pronounced "origáno" in English

Jalapeños : named after Jalapa, a city in Guatemala

Paella : pronounced "paela" in English

Tomato : Spanish tomate, from Nahuatl xitomatl

Potato : Spanish patata, from Taíno batata

Daiquiri : pronounced "dáqueri" in English, this cocktail gets its name from a port city in Cuba

Vanilla : vainilla

Sherry : Jerez

Burrito, Nachos, Piña colada, Mojito, Tequila, Sangría, Salsa, Churros, Cilantro, Chili con carne...the list is endless!










Art, literature and culture

Often overshadowed by the food and drink, but still as important, Hispanic culture has also made it's way into the English language.

Aficionado

Savvy : "Savvy?" = ¿Sabes? "A savvy person" =  una persona sabia. Jack Sparrow's favourite word. Here's the proof.

Bodega

Fiesta

Flamenco

Macho

Patio

Rumba

Siesta

Salsa

Tango

Tobacco : Spanish tabaco, from Caribbean Taíno language tabako

Cigar : (puro) from the Spanish word cigarro, originally from the Mayan word sicar (tabaco)

Silo

Quixotic : derived from Cervantes' delusional knight Don Quijote, this adjective describes something completely idealistic, unrealistic and impractical 

War and conflict

Conquistador

Bandolier : from bandolera, a shoulder belt with loops or pockets for cartridges

Armada : a fleet of warships, from the Real Armada Española

Guerrilla : pronounced "gorila" in English

Renegade : from renegado in Spanish

Vigilante 

Trade

Trade between different nations was essential during the colonial years, which is probably how these Spanish words made their way into the English language.

Cargo : from the Spanish word Carga

Embargo

Galleon : from galeón in Spanish

Canoe : Spanish canoa, from Arawakan canaoua

Jade : pronounced "lleid" in English, from the same Spanish word jade

Platinum : platino

Animals

Many animals found in the New World were given names by the Spanish and then adopted by the British. Here are some of them.

Alligator : caimán (literally from the Spainsh El legarto) 

Armadillo

Mosquito

Iguana : from the Arawak languages of the Caribbean, iwana

Cockroach : an anglicization of cucaracha

Coyote : from the Mexican Nahuatl language coyotl

Barracuda

Bronco : this wild horse gets its name from the adjective in Spanish

Mustang : deriving from the now exclusively Latin American word mesteño (caballo salvaje), referring to the feral horses which are a descendent of the originally domesticated Spanish horses brought to the Americas.

Puma : pronounced "piuma" in English, from the Andean quechuan language






No comments

Leave a reply







Recent Posts

  • "Modal Land" and Wonderland: worlds of endless possibilities
    8 Dec, 2020
  • From head to toe : body idioms
    11 Oct, 2020
  • Summer Intensives
    23 Jun, 2019
  • Would I lie to you?
    3 Feb, 2019
  • We Three Kings of Orient
    4 Jan, 2019
  • English words with Spanish/Amerindian origins
    12 Oct, 2018
  • Shoulda woulda coulda....but did ya? : informal contractions
    7 Oct, 2018

Extra info

Feel free to share ideas and opinions here. It's your space!

Created with Mozello - the world's easiest to use website builder.