perico ripiao

Spanish

Etymology

Comes from the Dominican pronunciation of perico ripiado (“ripped parrot”), supposedly the name of a brothel where the music was played. Originated in the Cibao valley in the Dominican Republic.

Noun

perico ripiao m (uncountable)

1. type of traditional merengue music

   Synonym: merengue típico

Further reading

• “perico ripiao”, in Diccionario de la lengua española, Vigésima tercera edición, Real Academia Española, 2014