Concept in Definition ABC

The word gringo is commonly used in Latin America. It is usually used in a derogatory sense to refer to foreigners, especially Americans. In this way, an individual, a song or any manifestationcultural from the United States receives the qualifier of gringo. It is a term with negative connotations and framed in anti-American positions in some social contexts of America Latin.

The debate about its origin

There is no single version regarding its origin. For some gringo it comes from the social rejection of Mexicans in the face of the presence of US troops in their territory In the 19th century (the United States troops wore green and if we put together “green” plus “go”, which means go away, the word gringo is formed, which literally means “green, go away”).

A second interpretation refers to the fact that in English Greek (Greek) is used to refer to a strange language (in English instead of saying it sounds like Chinese to me, they say it sounds like Greek to me, “it sounds Greek to me”). It is also stated that there was formerly a director of a

company banana company named Green and that the workers in his charge confronted him with the cry "green go". Other sources maintain that gringo began to be used in Spain in the eighteenth century to refer to foreigners who did not speak Spanish well.

According to another version, during the war between Mexico and the United States in the 19th century, American troops sang a song with a chorus that said "Green grow the lilacs" and the Mexicans turned "green grow" into Gringo.

Finally, some consider that gringo is a deformation of the word greguería, a disused word that was originally used to refer to a meeting where many people speak and nothing is understood (later the term greguería has been used to refer yet genderliterary emerged in Spain and created by Ramón Gómez de la Serna). As can be seen, the word gringo presents an uncertain etymology and with all kinds of interpretations.

Gringos, gabachos and tourists

The word gringo reminds us of a reality: what is foreign has historically been valued in a derogatory way. Thus, in Spain the term gabacho is used to refer to the French and tourists are called tourists in a pejorative way. This custom is millenary, since it must not be forgotten that the Greeks of ancient Greece contemptuously called all those who were not Greeks Metecos.

Photos: Fotolia - Lorelyn Medina / Pixel Embargo

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