Perceptions of Slang in Iberian Spanish: The Case of Caló Loanwords

This study examines language attitudes among non-gypsy Spaniards toward the use of loanwords from Caló, the historical language of gitanos (Spanish gypsies), known as gitanismos. 35 Iberian Spanish speaking participants... [ view full abstract ]

This study examines language attitudes among non-gypsy Spaniards toward the use of loanwords from Caló, the historical language of gitanos (Spanish gypsies), known as gitanismos. 35 Iberian Spanish speaking participants completed an online survey which employed dual direct/indirect methods (Agheyisi & Fishman, 1970; Preston, 1993; Campbell-Kibler, 2010) to assess knowledge of and willingness to use gitanismos in Iberian Spanish, and to ascertain if and for whom the use of gitanismos elicited perceptions of prevalent stereotypes of gitanos. The research demonstrated that of the gitanismos tested, those that participants explicitly associated with gitanos were more stigmatized and less likely to be used by participants. Gitanismos overwhelmingly indexed colloquial, informal, or vulgar speech. Some prevalent stereotypes of gitanos, including “dirty”, “lazy”, “bad-mannered” and “violent” (Enesco et al., 2005), were suggested to be associated with the use of more stigmatized gitanismos. Furthermore, males, participants from northern or central Spain, and participants reporting no personal experience with gitanos tended to display more disfavorable attitudes toward the use of gitanismos. Overall, the indicated stigmatization of gitanismos in this study reflects the historically negative influence of Spain’s standard language ideology on minority languages.