dago
English edit
Etymology edit
Alteration of diego (“Spaniard”), from Spanish Diego (common Spanish name) by law of Hobson-Jobson.
Pronunciation edit
Noun edit
- (UK, slang, offensive, ethnic slur) A person of Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Greek, or other Mediterranean descent.
- 1933 January 9, George Orwell [pseudonym; Eric Arthur Blair], chapter XXVIII, in Down and Out in Paris and London, London: Victor Gollancz […], →OCLC:
- And all foreigners to him were "dem bloody dagoes"—for, according to his theory, foreigners were responsible for unemployment.
- (US, Australia, slang, offensive, ethnic slur) A person of Italian descent.
- 1963, J P Donleavy, A Singular Man, published 1963 (USA), page 19:
- "Matilda's making us omelettes, that all right, Miss Tomson."
"Are they going to reek."
"Dear me, I hope not. I instructed her to leave out particularly strong ingredients."
"Just so I don't leave here smelling like a dago."
Usage notes edit
- The word has sometimes been reclaimed in recent years by its targets, with people of Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, and Greek origin themselves adopting the term. In the Upper Midwest region of the United States, the term is used for several Italian-inspired food items.
- The term may have originated following British or American encounters with Portuguese and Spanish sailors. "Diego" is the Portuguese nickname for any deckhand. After transforming into "dago" in English and becoming a common term for Spanish and Portuguese people, the slur expanded in usage to then refer to Italians and Italian immigrants, another Mediterranean and Latin ethnic group.
- The Hill in St. Louis, an Italian-American enclave, is often referred to colloquially as "Dago Hill."
Derived terms edit
Translations edit
person of Italian descent — see wop
Anagrams edit
Afar edit
Pronunciation edit
Verb edit
dagó (inchoative daggoowé)
Conjugation edit
Conjugation of dago (type III verb) | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1st singular | 2nd singular | 3rd singular | 1st plural | 2nd plural | 3rd plural | ||||
m | f | ||||||||
present indicative I | V-affirmative | dagiyóh | dagitóh | dagóh | dagóh | daginóh | dagitoonúh | dagoonúh | |
N-affirmative | dagiyó | dagitó | dagó | dagó | daginó | dagitón | dagón | ||
negative | mádagiyo | mádagito | mádago | mádago | mádagino | mádagiton | mádagon | ||
present indicative II | affirmative present indicative I + imperfective of én | ||||||||
past indicative I | dáguk + perfective of én | ||||||||
past indicative II | dáguk + perfective of sugé | ||||||||
present potential |
affirmative | dagiyóm takkéh | dagitóm takkéh | dagóm takkéh | dagóm takkéh | daginóm takkéh | dagitoonúm takkéh | dagoonúm takkéh | |
past conditional |
affirmative | dáguk + past conditional of sugé | |||||||
-h converb | -k converb | -in(n)uh converb | infinitive | ||||||
dágih | dáguk | dagínnuh | dagíyya |
References edit
- E. M. Parker, R. J. Hayward (1985) “dago”, in An Afar-English-French dictionary (with Grammatical Notes in English), University of London, →ISBN
Basque edit
Pronunciation edit
Audio (file)
Verb edit
dago
Northern Sami edit
Noun edit
dagọ
Old Saxon edit
Noun edit
dago