''Gabacho'' (; feminine, ''gabacha'') is a word used in the Spanish language to describe foreigners of different origins in previous history. Its origin is in Peninsular Spain, as a derogatory synonym of "French". In Spain the term keeps the initial meaning, and it is used as a pejorative reference to someone or something specifically French, with no application to any other nationality. Other Spanish speaking countries, however, have adopted the term in a broader sense, acquiring a meaning similar to the meaning guiri has in Spain. In Spanish speaking countries other than Spain, it can also mean place (specifically the U.S.A.) when the definite article ''el'' is used in front of it "''el gabacho''". In Spain it has been used as a debasing reference for French people for hundreds of years. In Mexico, Guatemala and El Salvador it is used a deprecatory reference for United States citizens. In Mexico, ''el gabacho'' can also mean the United States, as in the place ("''Voy para el gabacho''", "I'm going to the US"). Gabacha is also a word used in Guatemala for apron. In

Central America Central America ( es, América Central or ) is a subregion of the Americas. Its boundaries are defined as bordering the United States to the north, Colombia to the south, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. ...

, it is used to refer to certain types of coats, such as that of a doctor, a kindergarten student, a lab coat or a graduation vest.

Etymology

The origins are debated. A possible root is the Catalan word ''gavatx'' meaning foreigner. Another possible root derives from the

Occitan Occitan may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to the Occitania territory in parts of France, Italy, Monaco and Spain. * Something of, from, or related to the Occitania administrative region of France. * Occitan language, spoken in parts o ...

word ''gavach'', meaning "someone who speaks with a faulty speech" or "someone who doesn't speak properly". This is the official position of the

Diccionario de la lengua española The ''Diccionario de la lengua española'' (DLE; ; en, Dictionary of the Spanish language), previously known as ''Diccionario de la Real Academia Española'' (DRAE; en, Dictionary of the Royal Spanish Academy), is produced, edited, and publish ...

. Robert A. Geuljans, etiologist, agrees with the connection between "gabacho" and the Aquitanian and Catalonian origins by considering that the origin of all, gabacho, gavatx and gavach comes from the

word for "goiter", a disorder common in the French Pyrene caused for vitamin deficiency that impairs the ability to speak. Pilgrims afflicted had been traveling from France to Spain since the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire ...

, to follow the Camino de Santiago hoping for a miraculous cure. The word may also derive from a mock transcription of the French word for a long coat, specifically for the coats of the French soldiers during the late 18th and early 19th century. The Etymological Dictionary of the Spanish Language claims the word originated in the 16th century, meaning "rude hillmen", and "he speaks badly the local language". According to the Diccionario de Autoridades in 1734, it is used for the people who originate from the folds of the Pyrenees, because in certain times of the year, they migrated to the Kingdom of Aragon and other parts, where they work in the lowest parts of society.

References

Francophobia in Europe Spanish slang Mexican slang Ethno-cultural designations Pejorative terms for in-group non-members Xenophobia Discrimination in Spain {{onomastics-stub