When the question “What is gringo?” Is asked, it becomes obvious that some people do not have the slightest idea about this concept. Because this word does not refer to any subject, but to a person. It will be even more interesting to find out who this gringo is, having delved into the history of this concept.
General view
First we get a general idea of the meaning of gringo. This word is called a foreigner who speaks English. As a rule, it is used in Spanish-speaking countries. At the same time, in different countries, it means several different characteristics.
For example, in Brazil, “gringos” are called all the tourists who come from Europe and North America and communicate in English. Argentines believe that it’s easier to describe people with light hair color. Mexicans prepare dishes of the same name.
At the same time, in Latin America, “gringo” is the name of a foreigner who does not speak Spanish or Portuguese, who has a contemptuous color. This is especially true for Americans. There are opinions of some experts who believe that this word as such does not apply to curses, but is slang. It becomes derogatory only when it is used in an appropriate context.
Early mention
Initially, the word was used in Spain to distinguish foreign citizens who do not speak Spanish as their native language. One of the earliest references to it is observed in the Castilian dictionary of 1786, edited by Terrero and Pando.
It says that in Malaga “gringos” are called for those foreigners who have such a strong accent that they can not fully communicate in Castilian. The same word is used in Madrid, but most often they are called the Irish.
Scientists disagree
Among etymological scientists, the prevailing opinion is that “gringo” is, most likely, a variant of the Spanish word griego, meaning “Greek”. The fact is that among the Spaniards the expression "speak Greek" was equivalent to the phrase "speak incomprehensibly."
But there is an assumption that the transition from griego to gringo from a phonetic point of view seems unlikely. This is because such a transformation would require two steps: first from griego to grigo, and then from grigo to gringo. While the word gringo can be obtained more quickly from the language of the Spanish gypsies, which is called "kalo". In this language there is the word peregringo, meaning peregrine, traveler, alien.
Folk etymology
In conclusion, studying the question of who this is a gringo, we consider two more versions. Many Mexicans believe that this word owes its origin to their country. They have a version that most etymologists attribute to false. It lies in the fact that the alleged “gringo” comes from the name of the song Green grow the lilacs (lilac green), which was very common during the American-Mexican war of 1846-1848.
Another option is proposed related to this war. In 1846, United States forces broke into the northern Mexican states. As a motive, the United States put forward the support of American colonial farmers. In practice, they have been using vast Mexican lands that were previously uninhabited for a decade. They established a slave system of labor there.
At the same time, in the mentioned regions (primarily in Upper California and New Mexico), where the local population lived along with the colonists from the USA, there was an actual seizure of lands and their inclusion in the jurisdiction of the United States.
As you know, at that time the military uniform of the Americans was green. And the Mexicans shouted after them: “Green, go away!”, Which in English sounds like “Green, go home!”. Subsequently, this expression was reduced to Green go and turned into a gringo.