Contents

Caló language: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 17:05, 15 January 2018

Caló (Spanish: [kaˈlo]; Catalan: [kəˈɫo]; Galician: [kaˈlɔ]; Portuguese: [kɐˈlɔ]) is a language spoken by the Spanish and Portuguese Romani. It is a mixed language (referred to as a Para-Romani language in Romani linguistics) based on Romance grammar, with an adstratumofRomani lexical items^[3] through language shift by the Romani community. It is often used as an argot, a secret language for discreet communication amongst Iberian Romani. Catalan, Galician, Portuguese, and Spanish [caló] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) are closely related varieties that share a common root.^[4]

Spanish caló, or Spanish Romani, was originally known as [zincaló] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help). Portuguese [caló] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help), or Portuguese Romani, also goes by the term [lusitano-romani] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help); it used to go by [calão] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help), but this word acquired the general sense of jargon or slang, often in a negative conotation (cf. [baixo calão] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help), 'obscene language', lit. low-level [calão] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help)).

Etymology

[Calé] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) is the endonym of the Romani people in Iberia, and [caló] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) means "the language spoken by the [calé] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help). However, the [calé] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) are commonly known in Portuguese- and Spanish-speaking countries by the exonyms [ciganos] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) and [gitanos] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help).

In [caló] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) and other varieties of Romani, [kalo] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) means "black or "absorbing all light",^[5] hence closely resembling words for "black" and/or "dark" in Indo-Aryan languages (e.g. Sanskrit काल kāla "black", "of a dark colour"). Hence [caló] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) and [calé] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) may have originated as ancient exonyms. For instance, the name of the Domba people, whom the Romani, Sinti and Kale people are now believed to have emerged,^[6] also implies "dark-skinned" in some Indian languages.^[7]

Nomenclature and dialect divisions

Three main groupings of dialects are distinguished in what is technically Iberian [caló] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) but most commonly referred to simply as (Spanish) [caló] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) or Spanish Romani:

• Spanish caló (Spanish: caló español)
• Catalan caló (Catalan: caló català)
• Occitan caló (Occitan: caló occitan)
• Portuguese caló (Portuguese: caló português)

In modern Romani linguistics, all are jointly referred to as Iberian Romani (Spanish: [iberorromaní] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) or [romaní ibérico] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help)).^[4]

Linguistic features

Phonology

Caló has six vowels:^[4]

It has the following consonant inventory:^[4]

Notable phonological features of Iberian Caló are:^[4]

• the loss of the distinction between aspirated /pʰ tʰ kʰ tʃʰ/, unaspirated /p t k tʃ/ and voiced /b d ɡ dʒ/.
• the merger of /b/ and /v/ – betacism.
• affricationof/t d/to/tʃ dʒ/ before the front vowels /i/ and /e̞/ cf. Brazilian Portuguese /ti/, /di/ > [tʃi ~ tɕi], [dʒi ~ dʑi].

Sample

Spanish Romani:

[Y sasta se hubiese catanado sueti baribustri, baribustri, y abillasen solictos á ó de los fores, os penó por parabola: Manu chaló abri á chibar desqueri simiente: y al chibarle, yeque aricata peró sunparal al drun, y sinaba hollada, y la jamáron as patrias e Charos. Y aver peró opré bar: y pur se ardiñó, se secó presas na terelaba humedad. Y aver peró andré jarres, y as jarres, sos ardiñáron sat siró, la mulabáron. Y aver peró andré pu lachi: y ardiñó, y diñó mibao á ciento por yeque. Penado ocono, se chibó á penar á goles: Coin terela canes de junelar, junele.] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help)

Parable of the Sower, Luke, 8, 4–8, as published by George Borrow in 1838 ^[8]

Compare with a Spanish version:

[Cuando una gran multitud se reunió y personas de cada ciudad fueron donde Jesús, Él les habló con una parábola. «Un campesino salió a sembrar su semilla. Al sembrar algunas cayeron en la carretera; fueron pisoteadas y se las comieron los pájaros del cielo. Otras semillas cayeron encima de la roca, tan pronto como crecieron se secaron porque no tenían humedad. Otras cayeron entre los espinos, y los espinos crecieron con éstas y las sofocaron. Otras cayeron en tierra buena; crecieron y dieron fruto, cien veces más.» Después de decir estas cosas gritó, «¡Aquel que tiene oídos para escuchar, que escuche!»] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help)^[9]

Loans

Spanish

Many Caló terms have been borrowed in Spanish (especially as slangisms and colloquialisms), often through flamenco lyrics and criminal jargon (germanía).

Examples are [gachó/gachí] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) ("man/woman", from gadjo/gadji), [chaval] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) ("boy", originally "son", a cognate of English chav^[10]), [parné] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) ("money"), [currelar] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) or [currar] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) ("to work"), [fetén] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) ("excellent"), [pinreles] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) ("feet"), [biruji] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) ("cold"), [churumbel] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) ("baby"), [gilí] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) ("silly, stupid"), [chachi] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) ("outstanding, genuine"), [(un)debel] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) or [debla] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) ("god/goddess"), [mengue] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) ("demond"), [chorar] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) ("to steal"), [molar] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) ("to like"), [piltra] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) ("bed"), [acais] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) ("eyes"), [chola] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) ("head"), [jeró] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) ("face"), [napia] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) ("nose"), [muí] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) ("mouth"), [lache] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) ("shame"), [pitingo] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) ("vain"), [chungo] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) ("bad, nasty, dodgy"), [guripa] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) ("cheeky, soldier"), [ful] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) ("fake"), [potra] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) ("luck"), [paripé] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) ("pretence"), [juncal] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) ("slender, graceful"), [pure] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) or [pureta] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) ("old"), [sobar] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) ("to sleep"), [quer] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) or [queli] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) ("house"), [garito] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) ("house, gambling den"), [jalar] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) ("to eat"), [cate] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) ("hit"), [diñar] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) ("to give, to die"), [palmar] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) ("to die, to snuff it"), [chinarse] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) ("to get upset"), [apoquinar] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) ("to pay"), [langui] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) ("lame"), [chalado] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) or [pirado] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) ("crazy"), [pirarse] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) ("to leave", "to make oneself scarce"), [changar] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) ("to break"), [chivarse] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) ("to denounce sb, to squeal"), [chivato] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) ("informer"), [hacerse el longuis] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) ("to pretend to be absent-minded"), pringar ("to get sb mixed up, to overdo"), [chingar] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) ("to have sexual relations, to bother"), [chinorri] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) ("little"), [najar] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) ("to flee"), [privar] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) ("drink, to drink"), [mangar] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) ("to steal"), [nanay] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) ("no way, there isn't"), [chorizo] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) ("thief"), [achantar] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) ("to get intimidated"), [pispar] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) ("to nick"), [birlar] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) ("to nick"), [achanta la muí] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) ("shut your mouth"), [canguelo] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) or [cangueli] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) ("fear"), [cañí] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) ("Romani person"), [calé] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) ("Romani person"), [caló] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) ("language of the Iberian Kale"), [calas] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) ("money"), [payo] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) ("non-Romani person"), [menda] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) ("myself"), and [galochi] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) ("heart").^[11]

Some words underwent a shift in meaning in the process: [camelar] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) (etymologically related to Sanskrit kāma, "love, desire") in colloquial Spanish has the meaning of "to woo, to seduce, to deceive by adulation" (but also "to love", "to want"; although this sense has fallen into disuse),^[12] however in Caló it more closely matches the Spanish meanings of [querer] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) ("to want" and "to love"). In addition [camelar] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) and the noun [camelo] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) can also mean either "lie" or "con".

Caló also appears to have influenced quinqui, the language of another Iberian group of travellers who are not ethnically Romani.

Catalan

To a lesser extent than in Spanish, Caló terms have also been adapted into Catalan as slangisms and colloquialisms, most of which were taken adopted from Spanish slang.

Examples are [halar] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) (pronounced [həˈɫa]or[xəˈɫa]; "to eat"), [xaval] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) ("boy"), [dinyar(-la)] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) ("to die"), [palmar(-la)] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) ("to die"), [cangueli] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) ("fear"), [paio] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) ("non-Romani person"), [calé] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) ("money"), [caló] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) ("language of the Iberian Kale"), [cangrí] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) ("prison"), [pispar] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) ("to nick"), [birlar] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) ("to nick"), [xorar] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) ("to steal"), [mangar] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) ("to steal"), [molar] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) ("to like"), [pringar] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) ("to get sb mixed up, to overdo"), [pirar(-se)] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) ("to leave, to make oneself scarce"), [sobar] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) ("to sleep"), [privar] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) ("drink, to drink"), [xusma] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) ("pleb"), [laxe] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) ("shame"), [catipén] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) ("stink"), [xaxi] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) ("outstanding, genuine"), [xivar-se] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) ("to denounce sb, to squeal"), [xivato] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) ("informer"), [xinar(-se)] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) ("to get upset"), [fer el llonguis] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) (lit. "Do a long one" fig. "to pretend to be thick/slow") and [potra] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) ("luck").^[13][14]

Portuguese

As with Catalan, there is a smaller number of words of Caló origin and many of those are indirect loans taken from the intermediate Spanish.

Well-known examples generally understood by most or all speakers of Portuguese include [gajo] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) (pronounced [ˈgaʒu], "man, dude", primarily in Portugal), [baque] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) ([ˈbaki], [ˈbakɨ], generally "impact", but in this sense "sudden happiness"), [ralar] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) ([ʁɐˈla(ʁ)], [ʁɐˈlaɾ], "to work hard", lit. "to grate oneself"), [ralar peito] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) ([ʁɐˈla(ʁ) ˈpejtu], [ʁɐˈlaɾ ˈpɐjtu], "to scamper, to skip, to run", lit. "to grate one's chest"), [bagunça] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) ([bɐˈgũsɐ], "mess"), [boliche] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) ([boˈliʃi], [buˈliʃ(ɨ)], "bowling"), [dica] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) ([ˈdʒikɐ], [ˈdikɐ], "tip, clue"), [pechincha] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) ([pɪˈʃĩʃɐ], [pɨˈʃĩʃɐ], "bargain, haggled"), [gamar] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) ([gɐˈma(ʁ)], [gɐˈmaɾ], "to be charmed, to fall in love with, to be obsessed by"), [ganiços] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) ([gɐˈnisus], [gɐˈnisuʃ], "dice", more commonly [dados] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help); "[thin] fingers and/or toes", more commonly [dedos] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help)), [mancada] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) ([mɐ̃ˈkadɐ], [mɐ̃ˈkaðɐ], "failure with a compromise", lit. limped/hobbled) and [pileque] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help) ([piˈlɛki], [piˈlɛk(ɨ)], "drunkenness").^[15]

Language maintenance

There is a growing awareness and appreciation for Caló: "...until the recent work by Luisa Rojo, in the Autonomous University of Madrid, not even the linguistics community recognized the significance and problems of Caló and its world."^[16] Its world includes songs, poetry and flamenco.

As Iberian Romani proper is extinct and as Caló is endangered, some people are trying to revitalise the language. The Spanish politician Juan de Dios Ramírez Heredia promotes Romanò-Kalò, a variant of International Romani, enriched by Caló words.^[17] His goal is to reunify the Caló and Romani roots.

Literature

In 1838, the first edition of Embéo E Majaró Lucas translated by George Borrow was published and began to be distributed in Madrid. This was Borrow's translation of the Gospel of Luke into Caló.^[18] A revision of this was printed in 1872.

See also

• Angloromani
• Erromintxela (Basque Romani)
• Germanía, a Spanish criminal jargon

References

External links

• The Romany language in Spain
• Romanò-Kalò (As promoted by Juan de Dios Ramírez Heredia)
• List of Spanish words from Caló in the Diccionario de la Real Academia Española.