Quinqui
Encyclopedia
Quinqui jargon
is associated with quinquilleros (tinker
s), a reduced and possibly vanishing semi-nomadic group who live mainly in the northern half of Spain
. They prefer to be called mercheros.
The language is an old form of Castilian, Germanía
, said to be related to Caló
, a dialect of the Spanish Roma. The term comes from the word quincallería (ironmongery), from ironmongers who originated this cant
as part of their trade. Because the men were frequently blamed for petty crime, in modern Spanish
the word is associated with references to delinquent, petty thief, or hoodlum. The mercheros identify as a distinct group separate from the Roma gitanos.
As many Spaniards are unaware of the quinquilleros as a cultural group, they simply associate the term quinqui with marginality and low-life. Some think the word quinqui had its origins in the English word kinky, used more widely in the 20th century..
Scholars have many theories about the social origins of mercheros, summarized as the following:
Jargon
Jargon is terminology which is especially defined in relationship to a specific activity, profession, group, or event. The philosophe Condillac observed in 1782 that "Every science requires a special language because every science has its own ideas." As a rationalist member of the Enlightenment he...
is associated with quinquilleros (tinker
Tinker
A tinker was originally an itinerant tinsmith, who mended household utensils. The term "tinker" became used in British society to refer to marginalized persons...
s), a reduced and possibly vanishing semi-nomadic group who live mainly in the northern half of Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
. They prefer to be called mercheros.
The language is an old form of Castilian, Germanía
Germanía
Germanía is the Spanish term for the argot used by criminals or in jails in Spain during 15th and 16th centuries. Its purpose is to keep outsiders out of the conversation...
, said to be related to Caló
Calo
Calo, Caló, or Calò may refer to:* Caló language, the language of the Iberian Romani**Iberian Kale :***Romani people in Spain, more frequently called gitanos***Romani people in Portugal, more frequently called ciganos...
, a dialect of the Spanish Roma. The term comes from the word quincallería (ironmongery), from ironmongers who originated this cant
Cant (language)
A Cant is the jargon or argot of a group, often implying its use to exclude or mislead people outside the group.-Derivation in Celtic linguistics:...
as part of their trade. Because the men were frequently blamed for petty crime, in modern Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
the word is associated with references to delinquent, petty thief, or hoodlum. The mercheros identify as a distinct group separate from the Roma gitanos.
As many Spaniards are unaware of the quinquilleros as a cultural group, they simply associate the term quinqui with marginality and low-life. Some think the word quinqui had its origins in the English word kinky, used more widely in the 20th century..
Scholars have many theories about the social origins of mercheros, summarized as the following:
- Descendants of mechanical workers who arrived in Spain from central Europe in the 16th century.
- Descendants of peasants who lost their land in the 16th century;
- Descendants of intermarriage between the Roma and non-Roma populations;
- Descendants of MuslimsMoriscoMoriscos or Mouriscos , meaning "Moorish", were the converted Christian inhabitants of Spain and Portugal of Muslim heritage. Over time the term was used in a pejorative sense applied to those nominal Catholics who were suspected of secretly practicing Islam.-Demographics:By the beginning of the...
who became nomads after the expulsion in the 15th century to escape persecution; and/or - A mixture of the above.
Notable mercheros
- Eleuterio SánchezEleuterio SánchezEleuterio Sánchez Rodríguez , known as El Lute, was at one time listed as Spain's "Most Wanted" criminal. He was a legendary Spanish outlaw who escaped several times from prison after being convicted and sentenced at age 23 to 30 years for murder...
, aka El Lute. A petty thief in his early life, he was convicted of armed robbery and murder; after escaping from prison, he was listed as "The Most Wanted" by the Spanish police. Later he earned a law degree and wrote five books. He was pardoned at age 39.