by Brendan Butler January 16, 2006
Get the oi! ginga! mug.If you travel around South America for any length of time, you'll come to realise that the word "gringo" there is generally synonymous with "foreigner", regardless of race or skin color.
For example an Argentinian is a gringo in Brasil, a Colombian is a gringo in Chile etc. It's used in both Spanish and Portuguese. Technically then, Latinos are the "gringos" in the US...
Most dictionaries say that it originally comes for the Spanish word for greek, which is "griego". This in turn dates back to a Medieval Latin phrase "Graecum est; non potest legi" (It is Greek; it cannot be read). A Spanish version of this is "hablar en griego", to speak Greek and therefore be unintelligible.
For example an Argentinian is a gringo in Brasil, a Colombian is a gringo in Chile etc. It's used in both Spanish and Portuguese. Technically then, Latinos are the "gringos" in the US...
Most dictionaries say that it originally comes for the Spanish word for greek, which is "griego". This in turn dates back to a Medieval Latin phrase "Graecum est; non potest legi" (It is Greek; it cannot be read). A Spanish version of this is "hablar en griego", to speak Greek and therefore be unintelligible.
by vitamin jay October 13, 2006
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It depends who saying it( but the spanish used it correctly)
The Spanish used it correctly to distinguish themselves from other white people.It does not mean Blonde person. The spanish used it to refer to White people with simliar complexion like those of southern europeans to distinguish themselves from them.Since they don't run with the spanish but are similar complexion they used the word gringo to notify other spanish decend that this person may look spanish or they may speak spanish well but that they are from from another language or country, derived form the work greek, like they speak some greek language or something strange or wierd or hard to speak, the spanish used the word gringo in meaning that this person is speaking in greek,like when the american use the word greek to describe something they don't understand. Now in this century, the word gringo hasn't been used correctly, Morenos people call anyone gringo that not of dark skin, or a mexican that doesn't speak spanish and there are alot of wrong assuption of the word gringo out there. Gringo was primarily used by the spanish to distinguish thenselves and classifying someone else that looks white but comes from a different country of origin. If A spanish or mexican back in the days where to see a blonde person, then they would just call them guerro(blonde person)or if they see a black person, then they would call him Negro etc, but if they see a white person that looks of spanish decent then they would call him gringo, this word was used to distinguish themselves from from spanish.They are not going to call him Blanco since the word blanco referes to someone of white spanish decent that also has a spanish surname and who's country of origin is of the hispanic coountries, this was a blanco, but a gringo is someone who surname and country of origin was not of spanish decent therefore the spanish would just say, " he's talking greek" meaning some weird language, which they used the word " el gringo"
The Spanish used it correctly to distinguish themselves from other white people.It does not mean Blonde person. The spanish used it to refer to White people with simliar complexion like those of southern europeans to distinguish themselves from them.Since they don't run with the spanish but are similar complexion they used the word gringo to notify other spanish decend that this person may look spanish or they may speak spanish well but that they are from from another language or country, derived form the work greek, like they speak some greek language or something strange or wierd or hard to speak, the spanish used the word gringo in meaning that this person is speaking in greek,like when the american use the word greek to describe something they don't understand. Now in this century, the word gringo hasn't been used correctly, Morenos people call anyone gringo that not of dark skin, or a mexican that doesn't speak spanish and there are alot of wrong assuption of the word gringo out there. Gringo was primarily used by the spanish to distinguish thenselves and classifying someone else that looks white but comes from a different country of origin. If A spanish or mexican back in the days where to see a blonde person, then they would just call them guerro(blonde person)or if they see a black person, then they would call him Negro etc, but if they see a white person that looks of spanish decent then they would call him gringo, this word was used to distinguish themselves from from spanish.They are not going to call him Blanco since the word blanco referes to someone of white spanish decent that also has a spanish surname and who's country of origin is of the hispanic coountries, this was a blanco, but a gringo is someone who surname and country of origin was not of spanish decent therefore the spanish would just say, " he's talking greek" meaning some weird language, which they used the word " el gringo"
by Texas9 August 10, 2006
Get the el gringo mug.Has. Nothing. To. Do. With. Skin. Colour.
Term used by Latin-Americans for non-Spanish(or Portuegese) speakers, particularly Anglo-Americans. Can range from affectionate to pejorative.
Term used by Latin-Americans for non-Spanish(or Portuegese) speakers, particularly Anglo-Americans. Can range from affectionate to pejorative.
by Jaaacob July 25, 2006
Get the gringo mug.I ate some tacos from a street vendor in Tijuana and I'll be damned if it didn't give me the worst case of gringo butt I've ever had.
by Chancey B January 6, 2007
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