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List of Spanish words of uncertain origin

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is a list of Spanish words of uncertain origin. Some of these words existed in Latin and/or Ancient Greek, but are thought by some scholars to ultimately come from some other source. Many of these words have alternate etymologies and may also appear on a list of Spanish words from a different language.

A

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  • ademán
  • agachar
  • agalla
  • ají
  • amargo
  • anchoa
  • añicos
  • Apache
  • ardilla
  • areito
  • arete
  • aro
  • arrancar
  • arrear
  • arriero
  • arveja/alverja
  • asustar

B

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  • balde (barrel, tub)
  • barato
  • barraca
  • barro
  • bata
  • baúl
  • beso
  • bisagra
  • bizco
  • borrar
  • borrego
  • bronce
  • bruja
  • buitre
  • burla
  • burlar
  • buscar

C

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  • cabaña,
  • cacarear
  • caleta
  • cama
  • cambur
  • camilla
  • canica
  • caracol
  • carcajada
  • catalán
  • cataluña
  • cebra
  • celta
  • cagarra
  • changa
  • chango
  • charco
  • chileno
  • chipre
  • chiste
  • chorro
  • chupar
  • cibernética
  • coco
  • cochino,
  • cucubano

D

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  • danza
  • derrocar
  • destrozar

E

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  • -ez (name suffix)

G

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  • gabacho
  • gacho
  • gago
  • gana
  • ganga
  • garbanzo
  • garza
  • gobernar
  • godo
  • gorra
  • gorrión
  • gorro
  • gótico
  • graznar
  • gusano,

H

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  • hipo

J

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  • judía (lima bean)
  • juey

L

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  • lama
  • latir
  • laurel
  • leopardo
  • lerdo
  • lirio water lily
  • liso
  • listo

M

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  • malgache
  • malva
  • manteca
  • mantecado
  • mantequilla
  • mascota
  • maullar
  • metralla
  • mimo
  • mimar
  • mohíno
  • moho
  • moneda
  • moño
  • mueca
  • migir

N

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  • nabo
  • niña

O

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  • ola
  • olivo
  • -ón= augmentative suffix (opposite of a diminutive suffix), as found in balón "big ball.": the same as Italian -one. Examples: guitarrón (from guitarra), salchichón (from salchicha). Exceptions (nouns ending in -ón that are not in the augmentative): aguijón, camarón, empujón.

P

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  • pantano
  • pantalla
  • pantera
  • parra
  • parrilla
  • pata
  • patán
  • patear
  • patillas
  • patín
  • patio
  • pato
  • patrulla
  • pavana
  • pelícano
  • peluca
  • pequeño
  • pera
  • pito
  • porrazo
  • prado

S

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  • sabotear
  • saeta
  • salpicar
  • salsifí
  • senda
  • sendero
  • sodio
  • soga
  • sucre
  • susto

T

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  • titere
  • tonto
  • topar
  • tope
  • trenza
  • trocar
  • tropa
  • tropel
  • troza
  • truco

Z

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  • zángano
  • zapato

See also

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References

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  • "Breve diccionario etimológico de la lengua española" by Guido Gómez de Silva (ISBN 968-16-2812-8)