Llanito

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Llanito
Llanito or Yanito 
Pronunciation: /jɑˈnito/ or /ʒɑˈnito/
Spoken in: Gibraltar
Total speakers: circa 20,000
Language family: Based on Andalusian Spanish, English, Maltese, Genoese and Haketia with variations.
Language codes
ISO 639-1: none
ISO 639-2:
ISO 639-3:
Gibraltar

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Llanito (pronounced [jɑˈnito] or [ʒɑˈnito]) or Yanito is an Andalusian Spanish based creole spoken in the British overseas territory of Gibraltar.[1] It consists of an eclectic mix of Andalusian Spanish and British English as well as languages such as Maltese, Portuguese, Italian of the Genoese variety and Haketia. Gibraltarians also call themselves Llanitos.

Contents

Andalusian Spanish is the main constituent of Llanito, but is also heavily influenced by British English. However, it borrows words and expressions of many other languages, with over 500 words of Genoese and Hebrew origin.[2] Among more educated Gibraltarians, it also typically involves code-switching to English. Some Llanito words are also widely used in the neighbouring Spanish town of La Línea de la Concepción (due to the influx of people from La Línea working in Gibraltar over many years).[3]

To many outsiders Llanito sounds incomprehensible, as speakers appear to switch languages in mid-sentence, but to people who can understand both English and Spanish, it may sound surprising and unique. One feature of the language is the pronunciation of English words with an Andalusian flavour. For example, bacon is pronounced beki; cake, keki; battery, batteria; and a policeman is known as un bobi, (from "bobby"), porridge is called kuecaro (a Spanish-sounding version of the brand Quaker Oats) and Happy Birthday is Hapi Berfday. Most Gibraltarians, especially those with higher education, speak standard Spanish of both Andalusian and Castilian dialects and standard English of the British English variety.

The official demonym of Gibraltar is Gibraltarians. However, the people of Gibraltar may also be referred to as Llanitos (female Llanitas). This term is commonly used in the neighbouring towns of La Línea, San Roque, Algeciras and the rest of the Campo de Gibraltar, as well as in Gibraltar itself. When speaking in English, the people of Gibraltar tend to use the word Gibraltarians to refer to themselves but when speaking in Spanish they prefer to use the word Llanitos rather than the Spanish name for their official demonym, Gibraltareños.

The truncated term Llanis is also used by the people of Gibraltar, where it can be heard all around the territory, proudly chanted in songs during their National day.

In Spanish, Llanitos means "people of the flatlands." It is thought that the inhabitants of La Línea with important social and economic ties with Gibraltar, were actually the first to be referred to as Llanitos since La Línea lies in the plain and marsh land surrounding The Rock. An alternative theory for the origin of the word is that it is derived from the name Gianni. During the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries the majority of the male civilian population of Gibraltar came from Genoa and Gianni was a common Italian forename.

  1. ^ Culture of Gibraltar. Everyculture. Retrieved on 2007-10-05.
  2. ^ Gibraltar Ethnologue profile. Ethnologue. Retrieved on 2007-09-21.
  3. ^ Linense Dictionary. La Línea de la Concepción. Retrieved on 2007-10-05.

Spanish-based creole languages

In the Americas: Palenquero
In Europe: Llanito
In Asia: Chavacano

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