Germanía: Difference between revisions
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==War of the Germanías== |
==War of the Germanías== |
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The term '''germanía''' ("brotherhood" in Catalan—compare with [[Galician language|Galician]] ''[[irmandade]]'' and Spanish ''hermandad'') originated from the name of certain communities in [[Valencia (autonomous community)|Valencia]], [[Spain]], which made themselves notorious by rebelling against the local [[nobility]] during the sixteenth century. Subsequently, the term referred to the argot used by these communities and, eventually, it referred to improper argot. |
The term '''germanía''' ("brotherhood" in Catalan—compare with [[Galician language|Galician]] ''[[irmandade]]'' and Spanish ''hermandad'') originated from the name of certain communities in [[Valencia (autonomous community)|Valencia]], [[Spain]], which made themselves notorious by rebelling against the local [[nobility]] during the sixteenth century. Subsequently, the term referred to the argot used by these communities and, eventually, it referred to improper argot. |
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The Linguistics Department at the University of Pennsylvania ties the history of jerigonza to a word game played by children all over the world. They connect this creation of a secret languages to word games in Brazil, the United States, and other countries. |
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==Use in Literature== |
==Use in Literature== |
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Revision as of 20:57, 25 August 2009
Germanía or jerigonza is the Spanish term for the argot used by criminals or in jails. Its purpose is to keep outsiders out of the conversation. The ultimate origin of the word is the Latin word Germanus (see http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/germanus) through Catalan germà (brother).
Some documentation for it occurs in picaresque works as early as the Spanish Golden Century, such as in Quevedo's El Buscón.[1] Some writers used it in poetry for comical effect.
After the arrival of the Roma people and their frequent imprisonment, germanía incorporated much vocabulary from Romany and its descendant, the caló jargon. As time passed, several words entered popular use and even standard Spanish, losing their value for secrecy. Germanía survives today in the cheli jargon.
War of the Germanías
The term germanía ("brotherhood" in Catalan—compare with Galician irmandade and Spanish hermandad) originated from the name of certain communities in Valencia, Spain, which made themselves notorious by rebelling against the local nobility during the sixteenth century. Subsequently, the term referred to the argot used by these communities and, eventually, it referred to improper argot.
Use in Literature
Characters in the original Spanish version of Arturo Pérez-Reverte's Captain Alatriste series make use of germanía. Pérez-Reverte gave a speech on the subject of germanía to the Real Academia Española de la Lengua after they invited him to join the academy for the work he had done on the series.[2]
Other jargons based on Spanish
References
- ^ Christopher J. Pountain, A History of the Spanish Language Through Texts (Routledge, 2000), 159.
- ^ Barbara Hoffert, "Q&A Arturo Pérez-Reverte", Library Journal, p. 77, 2005-4-15, translated to English by Carmen Ospina.