Glossary entry (derived from question below)
Oct 10, 2008 11:35
15 yrs ago
7 viewers *
Spanish term
Words That Make Sense
Native in: English 
Works in: Spanish to English, English
cholo
Spanish to English
Art/Literary
Anthropology
This is from a biography of a Panamanian boxer. In the text, he's in jail and having a hard time with one of the guards:
...era un cholo santeño de tez colorada, agarrado y fuerte, grosero y patán...Yo manifestaba que los cholos eran brutos, ignorantes, solo sabían usar el machete y corretear ganado. No sabían vestir ni hablar, lo único que tenían en la cabeza eran piojos.
I find reference to "cholo" as a kind of gang member or petty thug, but I don't think that's right for this context. I have the feeling that it's a regionalism...
Any ideas?
...era un cholo santeño de tez colorada, agarrado y fuerte, grosero y patán...Yo manifestaba que los cholos eran brutos, ignorantes, solo sabían usar el machete y corretear ganado. No sabían vestir ni hablar, lo único que tenían en la cabeza eran piojos.
I find reference to "cholo" as a kind of gang member or petty thug, but I don't think that's right for this context. I have the feeling that it's a regionalism...
Any ideas?
Proposed translations
(English)
| 4 | cholo |
kironne
|
| 4 | Mestizo |
Fabio Descalzi
|
| 4 | indian |
Esperanza Gallegos
|
| 3 | hick |
moken
|
References
| Cholo |
Fiona Kirton
|
| Expanded reference |
moken
|
Change log
Oct 10, 2008 11:42: Fabio Descalzi changed "Field (specific)" from "Poetry & Literature" to "Anthropology"
Oct 20, 2008 14:55: kironne Created KOG entry
Proposed translations
4 hrs
Selected
cholo
" ... he was a red-skinned cholo from Los Santos (footnote)... I expressed/said cholos were coarse, ignorant, they only knew how to use the machete... "
Considering the many articles, papers, and studies covering "cholos", I would leave it as is and include an explanatory footnote:
Please look at the examples, (not all referring to Panama, but I think what's important is the "namecalling", it's a love-hate situation:
http://www.ulwaf.com/LA-1900s/07.04.html#Mexicans
["Cholos de Coclé": determination of their racial ...[Rev Med ...
["Cholos de Coclé": determination of their racial mixture and genetic origins] ... 1993]; [Racial mix of the panamanian population] [Rev Med Panama. ...
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1439003
NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Cholo
Cholo, broadly, is a term applied to persons of mixed Amerindian and Spanish ... the Choco language family in northwestern Colombia and southeastern Panama. ...
www.nationmaster.com/encyclopedia/Cholo
etc.
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "Thank you!"
6 mins
Fabio Descalzi
Uruguay
Uruguay
Native in Spanish
Uruguay
GER>SPA Translator in Architecture
Native in: Spanish
Works in: German to Spanish, English to Spanish, Spanish to English
Mestizo
según el DRAE:
cholo, la.
1. adj. Am. Mestizo de sangre europea e indígena. U. t. c. s.
2. adj. Am. Dicho de un indio: Que adopta los usos occidentales.
cholo, la.
1. adj. Am. Mestizo de sangre europea e indígena. U. t. c. s.
2. adj. Am. Dicho de un indio: Que adopta los usos occidentales.
7 mins
indian
People with Andean, or "indian" roots. It is used pejoratively sometimes.
18 mins
hick
Hi Elizabeth,
He clearly does not have a very high opinion of this character. From the tone, I don't think this is intended so much as racial slur but focused around the 'bumpkin' angle.
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hick
an unsophisticated provincial person
Good luck!
Álvaro :O)
He clearly does not have a very high opinion of this character. From the tone, I don't think this is intended so much as racial slur but focused around the 'bumpkin' angle.
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hick
an unsophisticated provincial person
Good luck!
Álvaro :O)
Reference comments
7 mins
Fiona Kirton
United Kingdom
United Kingdom
Native in English
United Kingdom
Physics graduate and former IT pro
Native in: English
Works in: Spanish to English, English
Reference:
Cholo
Here's an explanation of the term (hope it helps)
Reference:
Peer comments on this reference comment:
| agree |
Juliana Brown
: Hey Liz! I like this idea, because apart from anything else, it's a term which is known and used in California, for one, as a derogatory word for Mexicans. It's not the same, but the tone will be clear and familiar for Americans.
24 mins
|
| agree |
María T. Vargas
: I would definitely leave "cholo" and use a translator's note saying it means a person with European and Indian blood.
1 hr
|
| agree |
Ana Cizmich
1 hr
|
9 mins
Reference:
Expanded reference
Hi Elizabeth,
I was just looking up the same page as fkirton. It comments on specific usage of the term in different countries. Here's what it says:
En Panamá, el término se refiere a las personas de ascendencia amerindia que han asimilado o están en el proceso de asimilación de la cultura "criolla", pero que aún conservan costumbres rudas. También se refiere a los rasgos propios de la raza amerindia (cabellos cholos, espalda de cholo, cara de cholo, etc.). Según el contexto en que se diga puede ser un término de corte despectivo (ejemplo: se emborrachó como un cholo, así se enamoran los cholos) o de elogio alusivo a rasgos amerindios de una persona. Como ejemplo de uso del término en Panamá, vease Roberto Durán.
I was just looking up the same page as fkirton. It comments on specific usage of the term in different countries. Here's what it says:
En Panamá, el término se refiere a las personas de ascendencia amerindia que han asimilado o están en el proceso de asimilación de la cultura "criolla", pero que aún conservan costumbres rudas. También se refiere a los rasgos propios de la raza amerindia (cabellos cholos, espalda de cholo, cara de cholo, etc.). Según el contexto en que se diga puede ser un término de corte despectivo (ejemplo: se emborrachó como un cholo, así se enamoran los cholos) o de elogio alusivo a rasgos amerindios de una persona. Como ejemplo de uso del término en Panamá, vease Roberto Durán.
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