<\/p>\n
Argentina is largely a country of immigrants and is distinguished from its Latin American neighbors by its mainly European ethnic roots: according to the CIA\u2019s World Fact Book, 97% of Argentines consider themselves to be of European origin. The majority of immigrants to Argentina, particularly in the late 19th<\/sup> and early 20th<\/sup> centuries, hailed from Spain and Italy, while Germans, Slavs, French and others also contributed in significant numbers. Buenos Aires served as a linguistic as well as ethnic mixing pot, leading to the creation of a distinctly Argentine form of slang, called lunfardo<\/strong>. Many lunfardo<\/strong> terms are adaptations of Italian or French words, others are simply unique creations, and others employ a strategy of syllable reversal in which tango<\/strong> becomes got\u00e1n<\/strong> and caf\u00e9 <\/strong>becomes feca<\/strong>. This slang is spoken primarily in Buenos Aires, and is featured heavily in some tango songs and certainly among the city\u2019s hip population.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Lunfardo<\/strong>is often unintelligible to Spanish speakers from other countries, let alone to the Spanish student innocently seeking linguistic immersion in one of Latin America\u2019s most esteemed capital cities. I myself faced the challenge of lunfardo<\/strong> when I spent six months studying in Buenos Aires. Arriving a bit cocky about my language abilities after having communicated with ease during a previous study abroad stint in Mexico and in high-level college courses, I was quickly put in my place. The porte\u00f1o<\/strong> (adjective meaning \u201cfrom Buenos Aires\u201d) accent was difficult enough to comprehend; coupled with lunfardo,<\/em><\/strong>I felt a bit like I had landed on an alien planet.<\/p>\n The following are some of the most common expressions, although you can find an extensive lunfardo<\/strong> to Spanish dictionary at <a href=”http:\/\/www.elportaldeltango.com.ar\/lunfardo\/p.htm”http:\/\/www.elportaldeltango.com.ar\/lunfardo\/p.htm Be careful with its use, however, because as with most slang, not all words are appropriate for use in all social situations.<\/p>\n For the advanced Spanish speaker, take a look at the lyrics to Mario C\u00e9cere\u00b4s tango Milonga Lunfarda<\/a>, sung by Eduardo Rivero. The entire song is a lesson in lunfardo. Suerte!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Argentina is largely a country of immigrants and is distinguished from its Latin American neighbors by its mainly European ethnic roots: according to the CIA\u2019s World Fact Book, 97% of Argentines consider themselves to be of European origin. The majority of immigrants to Argentina, particularly in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, hailed…<\/p>\n\n\n
\n Lunfardo Conventional<\/th>\n Spanish<\/th>\n English<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n \n la fiaca<\/td>\n la pereza<\/td>\n laziness<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n el laburo<\/td>\n el trabajo<\/td>\n work<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n la mina<\/td>\n chica, chava<\/td>\n chick, girl<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n morfar<\/td>\n comer<\/td>\n to eat<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n el pibe\/pebete<\/td>\n el ni\u00f1o<\/td>\n boy<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n la piba\/pebeta<\/td>\n la ni\u00f1a<\/td>\n girl<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n la plata\/guita<\/td>\n el dinero<\/td>\n money<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n el quilombo<\/td>\n el desorden, el caos<\/td>\n mess, chaos<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n trucho<\/td>\n falso<\/td>\n fake, counterfeit<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n