Editor's Corner

Today I have a little bit more for you from Babbel.com. This portion of our lesson on English words we adopted from Spanish is all about our home on the range, where the deer and the antelope play.

Nothing’s more American than a cowboy, right? Well actually, the first people to herd cattle on horseback in North America were the vaqueros who introduced the ancient Spanish equestrian tradition to the Southwest. Their name is derived from vaca, the Spanish word for cow.

· buckaroo – anglicization of vaquero

· corral – pen, yard

· chaps – chaparreras: leg protectors for riding through chaparral

· desperado – desesperado (“desperate”)

· hackamore (a kind of horse bridle) – jáquima (halter)

· lariat – la reata (strap, rein, or rope)

· lasso – lazo (tie)

· quirt (a short horseman’s whip) – cuarta: quarter

· ranch – rancho (a very small rural community)

· rodeo – from rodear (to go around)

· stampede – from estampida a sudden panicked rush of a number of horses, cattle, or other animals)

· ten-gallon hat – from Spanish tan galán (so gallant), or possibly galón (braid)

Chaparral

Kara Church

Technical Editor, Advisory

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