The English language is a melting pot of cultures, just as the American population is a melting pot of immigrants. I have previously written about the many common English words and phrases borrowed from French, Latin, Greek, and Yiddish. But in fact, Spanish borrowings may outnumber all of these. The close connection we have had with South and Central America since our founding has definitely facilitated this process, especially in the case of American English. We usually borrow words and phrases when they capture the essence of an idea or feeling better than any English word.
Our primary source for importing these words has been our nextdoor neighbor Mexico, which was conquered by Spain in 1521, and known as “New Spain” until it gained independence in 1821. Since then, Mexican Spanish has evolved independent of the Castilian Spanish spoken in Spain itself—somewhat analogous to American evolving separately from British English. So, the words discussed here might be used in both, or either.
Let’s begin with food. Of course we know that jalapeño, taco, and guacamole come from Spanish, but did you know that vanilla and banana share that origin as well? The “vainilla” plant and bean were originally grown in Mesoamerica—home to the Olmec, Aztec, and Mayan civilizations. Vanilla is still grown in parts of Mexico, as well as Madagascar and Indonesia. English borrowed banana from Spanish and Portuguese, who in turn most likely borrowed it from the Wolof language of West Africa. The next time you’re dipping into a bowl of guacamole at Fiesta Azteca, note that two of its ingredients—tomato and avocado—also come from Spanish via the indigenous Nahuatl language—the official language of the Aztec Empire which is still spoken by over a million Mexicans. Nahuatl is also the original source of chocolate, a word which evolved from the chikolli hook, the beater used to mix chocolate with water. Any of these foods might be purchased in a cafeteria, which in Spanish refers to a coffeehouse, but in America, a self-serve restaurant. And another ingestible, though not exactly a food, that comes from Spanish is marijuana—not surprising news when we think of Tijuana. The origin of this plant name in Spanish is uncertain.
Another group of Spanish borrowings relates to outdoor living. Shall we dine on the patio tonight? In Spanish, this word refers to an enclosed courtyard, whereas we mean a paved area in our back yard. There is more talk than action on Crozet’s proposed downtown plaza, referring to a public square in both languages. And while visiting either space, we might hope for a breeze, in Spanish denoting a northwest wind—but not a tornado or a hurricane! Tornado is the Spanish word for thunder, while Spanish huracán, from Taino hurakán, refers to a tropical cyclone with winds of 75 mph or greater. The Taino tribes inhabited the Caribbean islands such as Puerto Rico, Jamaica, and Cuba.
Another batch of English words derived from Spanish describe criminal behavior. Any renegade—in Spanish one who abandons their faith, or in English a person who rejects lawful or conventional behavior—might need to travel incognito, that is, with their identity hidden. They might also spend a good deal of their time incommunicado, or outside the reach of communication. The vigilante of old westerns—a self-appointed enforcer of justice—probably sees himself as macho, or ultra-masculine. In Spanish, vigilante refers to a watchman or guard, while macho simply means a male animal. Both of these characters made appearances on the 1960s-1970s TV show Bonanza, which dramatized life on a Nevada ranch during and after the Civil War. In Spanish, bonanza means calm sea, but in English it means a large mining deposit or any large quantity.
You may have noticed how many of these Spanish borrowings end in vowels, especially -o. From “macho” to “tornado” to “incognito,” a definite pattern emerges. Among these are embargo, meaning to bar, but in English referring specifically to a legal prohibition on commerce. Pronto means without delay, and tango is of course the name of a sultry Latin dance. An aficionado loves a particular topic or hobby so much that they have become an expert. Cargo in Spanish is a load or charge, and in English refers specifically to freight or merchandise carried by a ship or other vehicle. And of course a rodeo is a competition in which competitors endeavor to ride wild bulls or bucking broncos without falling off—from the Spanish for rough or wild. An activity which to me sounds loco, or cray cray!
On your summer vacation, you might visit the awe-inspiring Grand Canyon, from the Spanish word cañón, meaning tube, pipe, or deep hollow. While out west, you might hear a coyote howling in the distance. This is another word from the Nahuatl language indigenous to Mexico. Besides referring to the carnivorous mammal that sometimes attacks livestock, this word has come to be used—perhaps because of the animal’s sly, secretive nature—for a person who smuggles immigrants into the U.S. Be sure to pack a poncho for the trip, in case it rains—originally a blanket with a slit in the middle for your head, but in America usually meaning a waterproof version with a hood. Your tour guide may have developed a comic persona to amuse the group, which can be either entertaining or annoying. Used to mean social façade or public mask in English, it simply means person or human being in Spanish. But let’s hope they don’t smoke stinky cigars, especially on a bus! This name for a fat roll of tobacco leaves comes from the Mayan word sikar, which became cigarro after Christopher Columbus introduced them to Europe. By the 19th century, Cuba had emerged as the premier manufacturer. And of course, cigarette is a smaller version of this addictive pleasure.
A number of our state names also come from Spanish, especially in the West. These include Colorado (colored red), California (hot furnace), Montana (mountain) and of course, New Mexico, among others—not to mention the cities of Los Angeles (the angels), El Paso (the pass of the north), and San Francisco (Saint Francis).
Of course, Spanish, like French and Italian, is a romance language that derives ultimately from Latin. This diversity of origin strengthens and adorns our language. Olé!
