The boys and I picked up a couple friends from the Hispanic group we’re in on Sunday nights and took them hiking at Patapsco Valley State Park, this afternoon.  And besides being an excellent friendship-builder, this afternoon also proved to be one of expanding our Spanish by immersion.

Stand-out words of the day:  former slur terms that are now used as national identification slang (often with pride) by the various people of Central America.

Happy to share.

I am already the proud mother of two of the cutest Chapines (chah-PEEN-ays) in the USA.  “Chapin” or “Chapina” means someone from Guatemala.  Having done some cursory research online, I believe the term comes from a type of shoe that the Maya people wore hundreds of years ago which made them easily identifiable by people from other regions.

Our future kids from El Salvador?  “Guanacos.”   Or “Guanacas” if they’re girls. 

It’s always good to know these things, right?

 

As for the Complete Central American Slang-Term List:

Mexican – depends on the region.  “Chicano/a” is a U.S.American of Mexican descent, “Chilango” is someone from Mexico City, “Chollero/a” is someone from Los Cabos  (refers to a type of cactus there)

Guatemalan – Chapin/Chapina  (after a type of sandal worn by the Maya in this region in pre-Columbian times) 

Belizean - ???  (I thought my friend was just being coy when she said there is no term, but it appears that her native country somehow escaped without one!)

Salvadoran – Guanaco/Guanaca (derived from Maya tribal band, refers to brotherhood)

Honduran – Catracho/Catracha (after a 19th century military leader, Florencio Xatruch)

Nicaraguan – Nica, Nicoya or Pinolero/Pinolera  (the former and second are shortened versions of the country name, the latter refers to a drink made in Nicaragua called “Pinol.”)

Costa Rican – Tico/Tica (refers to the use of diminutives in speech… similar to when we add “ie” or “y” to the end of a word like “birdy” instead of “bird” … apparently Costa Ricans are stereotyped as very likely to over-employ these.)

Panamanian – Pana (abbreviation for the country)

 

I, of course, remain and ever shall be a “Gringa” (most commonly ascribed to the Mexican-American War era when U.S. soldiers wore green uniforms and those fighting against them wanted them to leave their turf and return home…”Green, go!” = “Gringo” and now refers to anyone of light complexion from North America or Europe).

Lest anyone wonder what kind of Hispanic Bible study I’ve joined, please keep in mind that I didn’t learn these till today.  In the woods.  They’re not part of our every-Sunday vernacular.  But at least if someone wants to toss me a teasing ”Gringa!” now, I know how to retort, country-appropriately!

Yeah, street cred.