An English Invasion

Evening Post, Volume CXVI, Issue 31, 5 August 1933, Page 16

An English Invasion

English words are finding their way into the Castilian's vocabulary, once so free of foreign terms, as the result of Hollywood's talkies, which predominate in Spanish picture theatres, says the "San Francisco Chronicle." The word "gangster" is not yet in the dictionary of the Spanish Academy,' but it has become a useful addition to the Spaniard's vocabulary. Written in quotation marks, as all foreign words are, and .sometimes spelled "ganster," it is frequently seen in Newspapers. The Spaniard, however, prefers the native word, "pistolero," to "gunmanj" its American equivalent, often seen on tho screen. Movie-goers have also become acquainted with the word "cowboy." Many English words ( adopted by the French have drifted across tho Pyrenees and are used by Spaniards, who think of them as French terms. Thus an evening jacket is a "smoking," a dance hall a "dancing," arid football "futbol." The word beefsteak, of course, becomes "bifstek," but you must specify whether you want a '"bifstek" of beef or one of pork. A hamburger steak is called a "bifstek aleinan," or German beefsteak. The "barman" in Madrid will serve you any number of drinks with English names, such as "whisky," at a "bar Americano." Tou can order a cocktail if you pronounce the word coke-

tile, and he will shake it in a 'fcoektelero." In most sports, actually the majority of terms come from the English language, for Englishmen introduced nearly all sports here except native pastimes, such as jai-alai and bull fighting. ■ . In Minorca, the "island of the Balearics that was occupied three times by the British, the vocabulary teems with. English words. At Mahon, the capital, that is reminiscent of Cornwall, guides Bhowing tourists around mention with pride tho "bevindos," and point to tho bay windows of houses. Nearly every boy in Minorca plays marbles, called "mairbels," and during the game the words "knuckle" and "please" are used phonetically. Quarrelsome little Minorcans sometimes get an "ull blac," or black eye. "Bottle" and "kettle," ' used phonetically, are household words in Minorca, and "floor" is used to describe one of wood. Many farmers in Minorca, who call their team "ox," are much more Anglo-Saxon than Spanish in appearance. In Spain an American is commonly yalled "Yanqui." Otherwise ho is a "North American" —not "American" —regardless of the fact that there are other countries in North America as well as in America as a whole,