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To lighten the mood on the foro a bit, I figured now would be a good time to start a Word Nerd thread. As a complete language nerd, I would like to know what everybody’s favorite flamenco word is. Or even just a Spanish word. While we’re at it, why not give me a very hard word in English (I collect difficult words in English, as Mark, Kate and Matic know very well.. me and my little black book). Oh well.. we’re all some kind of nerd here, right?
Personally, I adore the word ‘pellizco’ (a little pinch), especially remembering how my beloved teacher La Presy explains it (by actually pinching some of her students, quite hard). It’s also what makes dance interesting, personal and captivating to watch.
I also like ‘alzapúa’.
How about this one, not necessarily related to flamenco: ‘carajillo’! Besides being very satisfying to pronounce (it almost sounds like a swear word to me), it is also a magic little drink to make you more awake and just a bit happier than you were (coffee with cognac). And another random one: ‘murciélago’ (bat).
I do believe this is Mark Shurey’s favorite Spanish word: ‘cachondeo’. And how about ‘tonterías’?
As for jaleo (which in itself is a pretty cool word), I like these: ‘Arsa, Ya está’ (to me sounds more like Asa, yata!) and ‘Toma’ and ‘Anda’.
There, now I would like to hear from you!
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Lejos, muy lejos de España Yo me llevé un ruiseñor Y en sus cantes decía "Quiero vivir en Graná, Graná que es la tierra mía."
RE: Favorite Flamenco Words (in reply to annemarie)
quote:
Mark Shurey’s favorite Spanish word: ‘cachondeo’
Yeah..i love the sound of that word. I suppose it roughly means revelry in English...lots of party noise and antics....general good natured craziness.
Madrugada is strange because it means "in the early morning"....BUT only if you havnt been to bed. So if you went out for coffee at 8.00 por la mañana it means you have been to bed and are going out for coffee to wake up. However if you go for coffee at 8.00 por la madrugada it means you are on day 4 of the Sanlucar course and you are trying to figure out how to get through Gerardos 10.00 class.
I like the word "descojonado" which means to split your sides laughing. In spanish your sides dont split...your b@lls drop off
Seriously....arza I think means "to rise " (take it to a higher level)
toma, I think means "take it! (man)"
anda, I think means "go!" (as in "go man go!")
aro is Harold.
thanks, ron. so now i know if i play in front of a bunch of flamencos and they start yelling anda, i know they're telling me to go, as in go walk out that door and off a moderatlely tall cliff.
quote:
The word cinco(theenko) for five always seems to have a funny little sound to it.
that's exactly why i like bicicleta. bitheecleta. azul, cielo, corazon, izquierda, etc.
RE: Favorite Flamenco Words (in reply to annemarie)
Manzanilla taste good, sounds good, makes you sound good and is VERY flamenco. Guitarón is another good one, especially when someone who plays really well says that about your guitar
Posts: 6447
Joined: Jul. 6 2003
From: England, living in Italy
RE: Favorite Flamenco Words (in reply to annemarie)
I forgot that my Dad's favourite Spanish word was "celador" as it sounded like the English "cellar door", which he always thought exotic; he never believed me when I told him it was Spanish for a guard at a museum or somewhere similar.
There is also "sellador", which means a sealant but pronounced "say a dor"
In thinking some more, I like "manchego" in more than one way.
There was an old guy who used to wander around the Albbaicin selling nuts who would cry out " GLOOOOOOORRRRIAAAAAAAAAAA TENGO ALMENDRAS, PIPAS Y CACAWAAAAAAAAAY"
Harold ( or should I say Aro') recorded it and for a while it was the start up sound on his computer. Shame we dont have it anymore as the old guy has long gone.
RE: Favorite Flamenco Words (in reply to annemarie)
Yeah 'madrugada' has always been one of my favourite words, there's no one word for it in English.
A funny word is 'wiki', which is a drink popular among flamencos.
@ Annemarie: for me the quintessential Dutch word is 'gracht', both for its sound and its meaning. [And there are loads of Dutch names that look and sound hilarious to English speakers - such as Jaap Blonk and Ruud Lubbers (aka Lewd Rubbers) - but that's another topic!]
Posts: 907
Joined: Mar. 13 2006
From: Vancouver, Canada
RE: Favorite Flamenco Words (in reply to annemarie)
Madrugada - it's interesting that you say it's only if you've stayed up. Latin Americans use this word as a verb when they have to get up really early (like before the dawn). Hay que madrugarse.
Chevere means cool, sure, but it also carries a connotation of being fun or agreeable.
Chulo/a - in Latin America it also means sexy. So...careful there.
Pegamento - I prefer pagao or pagaito, especially as pertains to salsa or merengue.
Some of my favourite Spanish words:
Joder Cheval Descarado Entranas Manoso/a Muneca (my favourite piropo, I even had a GF I called my muneca de trapo)
I like the phrase "a mi/su vera." Never heard it used before I started listening to flamenco lyrics.
"Triste pena" is an interesting combo.
I also like any word that lets me eat the letter 'd' and words where I can eat the 's' too.
Posts: 35
Joined: Nov. 16 2008
From: Kemble, England
RE: Favorite Flamenco Words (in reply to annemarie)
I really love all the gitano words which get used in letras! examples including Bajañí Sacais Undebé Chanelar Also love it when they use the diminutive form on verbs and things that shouldn’t have it at all ‘las ha pasaito mi mare’ Also im getting increasingly into the lisped ‘s’ as opposed to the c/z which are pronounced as pure ‘s’ according to some Spanish friends this sounds really coutry bumpkin esque!
Posts: 377
Joined: Nov. 22 2005
From: Quepos / Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica
RE: Favorite Flamenco Words (in reply to annemarie)
I always get a kick out of hearing Andaluces talk because their pronunciation is just awful! They speak an incredibly lazy spanish compared to the other spanish speaking countries. The D and the S pretty much is non existent and thus has created new words which are commonly used by foreigners, especially in flamenco, but are wrong. Like for example:
Cantaor should be Cantador Bailaor - Bailador Granaina - Granadina Mercao - Mercado Pecao - Pescado
And so on and so on. Theres a big difference in how people talk in different regions of Spain, but obviously the south has dominated the letra. Cubans and Nicaraguans, also Puerto Ricans omit letters when they talk too. I grew up speaking Mexican Spanish and once lived with a Nicaraguan girl here in Costa Rica - so we had three versions of Spanish which sometimes made conversations lots of fun! I guess this doesn't have much to do with flamenco words, but I thought it might be interesting to add.
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