germanía
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Germanía () is the Spanish term for the argot used by criminals or in jails in Spain during 16th and 17th centuries. Its purpose is to keep outsiders out of the conversation. The ultimate origin of the word is the Latin word , through Catalan (brother) and ("brotherhood, guild").
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Article
6 sectionsContents
- War of the Germanías
- Use in literature
- Other jargons based on Spanish
- See also
- References
- External links
Germanía () is the Spanish term for the argot used by criminals or in jails in Spain during 16th and 17th centuries. Its purpose is to keep outsiders out of the conversation. The ultimate origin of the word is the Latin word , through Catalan (brother) and ("brotherhood, guild").
Some documentation for it occurs in picaresque works as early as the Spanish Golden Century, such as in Quevedo's El Buscón. Some writers used it in poetry for comical effect.