Caló (Spanish Romani)

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This article is about the Roma language. For the argot spoken by Mexican-Americans, see Caló (Chicano).

Caló (originally Zincaló) or Spanish Romani is a jargon spoken by the Gitanos or Zincarli originating from Spain: Caló blends native Romani vocabulary with Spanish grammar,<ref>Ethnologue</ref> as Spanish Gypsies lost the full use of their ancestral language. Gitanos used Caló to communicate discreetly in their internal dealings.

In spite of this secrecy, some Caló words have entered common Spanish language through Flamenco lyrics, Andalusian Spanish and criminal jargon.

Examples are gachó ("man", from gadjo), chaval ("boy", originally "son", a cognate of English chav<ref>Diccionario Crítico Etimológico Castellano e Hispánico, volumen II, page 347. Joan Corominas and José A. Pascual. Editorial Gredos, Madrid, 1989. ISBN 84-249-1363-9.</ref>), parné ("money"), currelar or currar ("to work"), fetén ("excellent"), pinreles ("feet"), biruji ("cold") and churumbel ("baby").

There is a growing awareness and appreciation for Caló: "...until the recent work by Luisa Rojo, in the Autonomous University of Madrid, not even the linguistics community recognized the significance and problems of Caló and its world."<ref>The Responsibility of Linguist and the Basque Case</ref> Its world includes songs, poetry, and flamenco.<ref>Caló</ref> According to the Ethnologue, Caló is related to another nomadic group's language, Quinqui.