Deseret Language and Linguistic Society Symposium

Volume 25 Issue 1 Article 4

2-19-1999

Spanish Additions to the Lexicon from 1850 to the Present

Heather A. Robles

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BYU ScholarsArchive Citation Robles, Heather A. (1999) "Spanish Additions to the Cowboy Lexicon from 1850 to the Present," Deseret Language and Linguistic Society Symposium: Vol. 25 : Iss. 1 , Article 4. Available at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/dlls/vol25/iss1/4

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Heather A. Robles

Before the development of the windmill, lexicon, this paper also includes an analysis , and the modem machinery now ofthe categorial and semantic changes used in the cattle industry, "cowboys" common to many of these terms. These inhabited Texas and other western states and changes in category and meaning indicate herded cattle all year. The work of the the degree of integration of a specific term cowboy was unlike that of any other into the English language. Some, like the profession. For minimal wages, he worked term "coITal," have become highly integrated seven days a week and was on call into English. "CoITal" is recognized by twenty-four hours a day. He regarded his nearly all English speakers, and most do not job satisfaction as compensation for the low realize that the term comes originally from pay, and took pride in his skill at various Spanish. It is used not only as a noun (like herding and roping techniques. The first the Spanish term corral), but also as a verb, and, for a long time, best cowboys carne meaning to force an animal into an from Mexico, since the cattle market in enclosure. "Corral" is also used Mexico preceded the one in the United metaphorically, in the sense of cornering a States. The first Anglo cowboys were young person (not just an animal). This paper will men from the East whose interest in the show how similar categorical and semantic unknown West led them to their new career. changes have occuITed in many borrowed They learned the trade from the Mexican hispanicisms, indicating that they have been and, as a result, came to use accepted and integrated into the English Spanish vocabulary for many of their language. surroundings, techniques, and tools. This paper will briefly discuss the Spanish Borrowings in the Cowboy Spanish terms found in cowboy English Lexicon from the late 1800s to the present. The Clothing and Other Accessories terms described are found in authentic Many of the terms from the cowboy's literature written by cowboys describing the wardrobe are originally from Spanish. Over many facets of their profession. Included in his durable pants he wears . The the fiction and non-fiction sources are origin of the word chaps is Spanish, but biographies, autobiographies, diaries, a book there is some disagreement as to whether the on campfire stories, novels, and books word descends from chaparreras or written by cowboys describing the "colorful" chaparejos. Chaps can be worn to the ankle nature of their language. The terms are or to the knee. Shorter chaps are also known cross-referenced with definitions from as "chinks," a term whose origin is attributed western dictionaries, etymological by many authors to the Spanish chincaderos dictionaries, and various Spanish regional or chigaderos, although neither of these dictionaries. In addition to identifying terms appears in modem Spanish Spanish loanwords in the Amelican cowboy dictionaries. Short chaps are also known as 34 Proceedings of the 1999 Deseret Language and Linguistics Society armitas. The Diccionario de MejicanislJlos decoration. American cowboys, gives the following definition for the tenn misinterpreting the meaning of gal6n, added armas de agua a de pelo: "Llamabanse as! the number "five" or "ten" to the name of the dos piezas grandes de cuero de chivo, con hat to describe its large size. Some cowboy pelo, casi cuadradas, que sujetas en la hats had a barboquejo, or chin strap. cabeza de la silla 0 atadas a la cintura del Another piece of the wardrobe was the jinete, Ie cubrian pierna y pie, y Ie bandana, which served a multitude of uses preservaban del agua. En caso necesario se for the cowboy. In The Time it Never tendian en el suelo para dormir sobre ellas. Rained, Elmer Kelton makes mention of the Las habia ricamente adornadas. Hoy se han huaraches worn by Mexican migrant sustituido con las chaparreras, que no workers (p. 38). Many cowboys carried a pueden prestar iguales servicios, porque no morral, a pouch or sack, to carry their cubren el pie ni sirven para dormir" (p.80). supplies. According to this definition, armas are the predecessors of chaparreras. Armitas, then, The Saddle correspond with the definition above and are Since the cowboy did most of his work on a smaller variety of armas. Since chaps horseback, (many claimed they were don't cover the feet, as the above definition uncomfortable when not in the saddle), the of armas explains, cowboys used tapaderos, saddle and its accessories became a or "taps," which are leather coverings cowboy's most important equipment. Even attached to the stirrups to protect the toes. though many cowboys ride horses belonging The term derives from the Spanish tapar, "to to the ranch that employs them, each has his cover." The cowboy's chaps and taps are own saddle. The saddle is secured on the often trimmed with shiny metal decorations horse by one or more "cinches." "Cinch" called conchas or conchas. Concha is the comes from the Spanish cincha. In English Spanish word for "shell." Though the silver it has come to be used as a verb, as well, and decorations have a shape similar to that of a has also adapted a metaphorical meaning, as shell, Spanish regional and general illustrated by the popular Western author dictionaries do not provide a similar Louis L'Amour: "Hopalong rubbed his jaw, definition. his blue eyes twinkling. 'I reckon that last Other parts of the cowboy's wardrobe argument cinches it, Sim! I sure was included the poncho, which was usually a figgerin' on more pie!'" (p. 238). The leather blanket with a hole for the head. This tern1 strap that fastened to the cinch and held the could also describe a waterproof shield, but saddle in place was called the latigo. in most regions "slicker" or even "fish" were Saddles were often heavily decorated with more common. The cowboy's hat is often silver conchas and stamped leather, which called a sombrero. The word is originally indicated their worth. Spanish, and it refers to any kind of hat. To The saddle hom is often referred to the cowboy, the sombrero is usually a hat as an "apple," an "apple hom," or a "dally with a wide brim. Another style of hat is the hom." "Apple" is a probable calque from "ten-gallon hat." Contrary to popular belief, Spanish. The Diccionario de Mejicanismos the name does not refer to its capacity, but offers a similar definition of the word derives from the Spanish gal6n, a braided manzana: "cabezal 0 parte delantera de la Spanish Additions to the Cowboy Lexicon 35 silla de montar" (p.694). Spanish also has a rope, serves as reins and completes the verb related to the noun manzana: hackamore. Mecate comes originally from "Manzanear. tr. Entre charras y personas de the Nahuatl word mecatl, which the a caballo, sujetar a la manzana de la silla de Diccionario de Mejicanismos defines as la res lazada, dando vuelta corrediza a la "tira larga y angosta 0 soga hecha de corteza reata en tomo de ella" (p.694). The meaning vegetal" (p.711). The word's origin is not of this verb is similar to the English tenn "to well-known among cowboys because its dally" (also spelled "daIley"), which Hedges pronunciation has been altered and it is often defines as "to take a wrap around the saddle spelled "McCarty." hom with the rope" (p.334). The tenn "to When the cowboy rides his horse on dally" is a hispanicism that probably derives a ranch, he always carries one or more ropes. from the command fonn dale vuelta. It has There are a large variety of ropes that serve also been attributed to the infinitives dar la many different purposes, some retaining vuelta and darle vuelta. Earlier versions of their Spanish names. A maguey rope is the term were "dolly welter" and "dally made of fibers of the maguey cactus and is welter" (Erickson, p. 95). The tenn seems to used exclusively for "dally" roping, which have been adopted into English shortly after means that it is never tied fast to the saddle the tum of the century. However, it is not hom when an animal is being roped. A found in 1. Frank Dobie's A of the "quirt," according to Mackey Hedges, is "a Brush Country (originally published in braided, rawhide riding crop or short whip" 1929); he instead talks of giving the rope a (p.336). The term has been attributed both vuelta: "After a while I'd give the rope a to the Spanish word cuerda, cord, and to vuelta (a tum) around a post, and by taking cuarta, horseWhip. The latter etymology up the slack when the cow ran would finally seems to be more credible. The Diccionario get her tied up short" (p.6). In more recent de Mejicanismos gives the following cowboy lingo, a "dally" is one tum of the definition for cuarta: "LMigo corto para las rope around the hom. Some cowboys prefer caballerias de silla. Es to do del cuero que this method of securing an animal after Haman peal. Tiene en el cabo una asa 0 roping it; others prefer the "hard-and-fast" anillo del mismo cuero, con que se asegura a approach, which involves tying the rope fast la mui1eca, y en el otro extremo una pajuela to the hom before roping. Among the a tira delgada, que es propiamente el azote" cowboys that prefer the dally technique, the (p.319). hom is referred to as the "dally hom." Ropes in general are referred to as In addition to the saddle, riding "lariats" or "reatas" (also "riatas"). Both equipment also includes the reins and the words derive from the Spanish word for a headstall fastened onto the horse. One very rope used to keep animals in a line, plus the common type of headstall is the feminine article: la reata. The tenn , "hackamore." "Hackamore" derives from from lazo, is sometimes found, often as a jaquima, a Spanish word of Arabic origin. verb. The ropes used for roping animals are The bosal or bozal is a part of the made with a "honda" (often spelled hackamore, the noseband made of rawhide "hondo"), a loop or eye in the end of the or braided leather, rope, or horsehair. The rope. A honda can be a loop made by tying mecate (usually spelled mecate), or hair a knot in the end of the rope, or it can be a 36 Proceedings of the 1999 Deseret Language and Linguistics Society ring of rawhide or metal braided into the end a la res, lazandola en canera. Tambien se of the rope. The loop used to catch an dice piafar" (p.820). The (VCN) mentions animal is made by passing the free end of the term pial, citing its use as a rope throw, a the rope through the honda. The term does type of rope and a loop: "Lazada a la not derive from the Spanish hondo, but from extremidad de la pata ... Cuerda de cuero hondon, an eye or eyelet. The uses of the sin tejer ni torcer, que sirve para inmovilizar rope include various roping techniques, ala vaca cuando se ordella... Lazo que many of which still use Spanish atrapa las patas de una bestia" (p.84). The terminology. VCN also mentions the verb form: "PIALAR 0 APIALAR: Lazar de las patas a Roping Techniques las bestias" (p.239). Hedges describes a A common roping technique is the throw similar to the pial, called the culo: "A mangana, a throw used to catch a horse. style of throwing the rope so that it wraps This throw is also known as "forefooting" around the rear of an animal and catches the and involves forming a loop that the horse hind feet from the back rather than from the steps into with his front feet. There are side" (p.334). several variations on the mangana. The cowboy uses his foot to throw the loop in the The Ranch Hierarchy mangana de pie. The mangana de cabra is The earliest cowboys were Mexicans, and used by sheepherders, or pastores, to catch they refened to themselves as vaqueros. In goats by the front feet (Dobie, p. 247). A fact, among cowboys themselves, "cowboy" common throw mentioned by Dobie is the has never been a very common term. More pial, which is used to catch an animal by its common are "cowman" (vaquero) and hind feet (p.248). Watts gives "a rope" as a "buckaroo." Buckaroo is an adaptation of secondary definition for the word pial the word vaquero. Caballero was also (p.243). Variations on the term pial are occasionally used to refer to a man on found in the Diccionario de Mejicanismos horseback. A group of cowboys or vaqueros and Vocabulario Campesino Nacional was called an outfit or a corrida. (VCN). The DM notes that the term peal There are many levels in the comes from the same Latin root as the word hierarchy of a ranch. The owner of a ranch pie, and defines it as a type of rope: is known as the "rancher" or ranchero, the patron, the senor, or even the Don. The "(De pes, pedis, como pie.) m. Soga, owner's wife is called fa patrona or la cuerda con que se laza la res, madama. The owner sometimes lives on the echandosela preferentemente a las patas; ranch, but often he is an absentee owner who hecha de ordinario de fibra resistente, counts on his foreman to run the ranch in his recia, torcida; Hamada tambien reata 0 absence. Cowboys sometimes refer to a lechuguilla. Del sureste a Sur America, distant absentee owner as the presidente. hecha de cuero crudo, cur ado con sebo, The foreman (sometimes called the torcida y tallada" (p.820). mayordomo, ifhe is Mexican) selects a trail boss to supervise trail drives and round-ups. The DM also includes a verb form: "Pealar. The trail boss might then select a straw tr. Forma vulgar de apealar, por echar el peal boss, or segundo, to assist him. Another Spanish Additions to the Cowboy Lexicon 37

term for the straw boss is the caporal. from Nahuatl coyot!), the paisano (also Below the segundo are the vaqueros or "road runner"), the "javelina" (from Spanish cowboys, sometimes referred to as jabalina-also known as the collared "punchers," as well as the cook, who never peccary), and the "tarantula" (a tern1 helps with the cattle, except in case of originally from Italian). emergency. The history of the word "buffalo" is At the bottom of the hierarchy is the unique. The American buffalo is more "wrangler," or the man in charge of keeping correctly referred to as the American bison. the herd of horses and supplying each Buffalo comes from buJalo, which was the cowboy with a fresh horse whenever he name the Spanish conquistadors originally needs a change of mount. The term assigned to the bison, which they found to "wrangler" existed in English as early as the be similar to the Indian buffalo. The term sixteenth century. Henry V refers to himself biifalo was first recorded in the Americas as a the wrangler for the throne of France in around 1530 when it was used by Nunez William Shakespeare's King Henry V: "Tell Cabeza de Vaca to describe the bison found him he hath made a match with such a on the plains of Texas (Watts, p. 57). wrangler that all the courts of France will be Another animal native to the Southwestern disturb'd with chases" (p.493). However, it United States and Mexico is the puma. is unlikely that early cowboys were familiar Puma is the Spanish word for the animal with this use of the term. It is more likely that in English can be referred to as puma, that the modem Western usage of wrangler "cougar," and "mountain lion." comes from the Spanish caballerango, Cowboys also use a number oftenns which the Diccionario de Mejicanismos to refer to the stock and domestic animals defines as: "El mozo que en las haciendas 0 that they work with. Some cattle breeds casas particulares cuida y ensilla los have names that come from Spanish, such as caballos" (p.162). Watts gives "wrango" and and "Corriente "wangler" as variations of "wrangler" Steers." Corriente, a Spanish word meaning (p.370). The wrangler of an outfit is usually "common" or "ordinary," originally referred the youngest and/or least experienced to steers in a generic sense. However, the member of the crew. It is a position oflittle term has taken on a more specific meaning. prestige, but considered to be a good staliing Hedges reiterates this, though he says that place for young would-be cowboys. The Corriente Steers are not exactly a breed of wrangler is also called the remudero because cattle: "Corrienties [sic] are considered a he was responsible for the remuda, or herd breed by some people today. In truth, they of horses. are a cross of several breeds of cattle found in Mexico and come in a variety of shapes Animals and sizes. They are popular with team Some animal terms from Spanish refer to ropers because they usually have large horns animals found only in the Southwest and compared to the size of their bodies" Mexico. Since no English word existed, it is (p.334). Cattle in general are also referred to natural that cowboys and other newcomers as novillos. A bull might be called a taro. to the West adopted the Spanish names. Ramon Adams says that many old cowboys These animals include the coyote (originally preferred to use the term taro in the presence 38 Proceedings of the 1999 Deseret Language and Linguistics Society of a lady in order to avoid the more vulgar difficult disposition and was hard to ride: tenn, "bull" (1961, p. 159). A wild or "Through close supervision and careful unmanageable steer is called either an culling, the rancher should be able to mount outlaw or a ladino. Ladino is a Spanish tem1 himself and his cowboys on the kind of meaning "leamed" or "clever," and cowboys horses he thinks are right for his type of use it to describe an animal that seems to operation. Ifhe ends up with knotheads and have unusual intelligence. The DM says: "se broncs, he has no one to blame but himself' Ie llama asi [ladino] sobre todo al toro que (Erickson, p. 71). A potro refers to a young habiendo estado en corral, al volver al horse, either unbroken or in the process of campo no s610 es otra vez salvaje, sino que being broken. A "mustang" is a wild horse tiene una especie de conocimiento del descended from the horses that had been hombre y esquiva los lazos que se Ie ponen stolen by Indians or those that escaped from para cogerlo" (p. 652). Motherless calves the Spaniards during the colonization of are known as "dogies" or sanchos. The Mexico. The word "mustang" is said to origin of "dogie" is uncertain. It is probably derive from the Spanish word mesteFio. a hispanicism, but whether it derives from a Dobie gives another possible etymology of variant of adobe or from dogal, "halter," has the word: not been established. It has, however, been proposed that the tenn is not of Spanish It is the English corruption of mesteFio or origin at all and perhaps derives from mesteFia (feminine), a word already "dough-guts," an expression used by legalized in Spain when Copemicus cowboys to describe the swollen bellies of asserted diumal rotation of the earth. In malnourished calves (Blevins, p. 114). 1273 the Spanish govemment authorized Another word for an orphaned calf is the mesta as an organization of sheep "leppie," or "lepe," which comes from the owners. On the long 'walks' between Spanish telID lepe, which Sobarzo defines as winter and summer ranges, many sheep an orphaned animal: "LEPE. adj. Dicese del were lost. They were called mesteFios animal, especialmente del becerro 0 del (belonging to the mesta). They were potrillo, que ha perdido la madre, sea por also called mostrencos (from mostrar, to muerte de esta 0 por otra circunstancia" (p. show, exhibit). The estrayed animal had 140). to be mostrado (shown) in public to give Cowboys have an equally rich the owner a chance to claim it. Bienes Spanish vocabulary to describe horses. A mostrencos were, in legal tenninology, caballo is a horse in general. A "bronc," or goods lacking a known owner. .. bronco (less common), is a horse that has Mestengo, a later fonn of mostrenco, is a not been "broken," or trained to wear a word nearer to mustang than mesteFio, saddle and carry a rider. The DM confinns and some etymologists have regarded it this definition: "bronco, ca. adj. Dicese entre as the origin (Dobie, 1952, cited in gente del campo, del caballo no acabado de Watts, p. 221). educar y reacio por 10 mismo a la rienda y al manejo deljinete" (p. 152). In later cowboy Spanish tenns are also commonly employed literature, a bronc came to mean not just an to refer to the color or breed of a horse. A unbroken horse, but any horse that had a grulla is a mouse-colored horse. A moro is Spanish Additions to the Cowboy Lexicon 39

a blue-gray color. A pinto or "paint" is a The word "ranch" comes from the Spanish two-colored horse, as if splashed with paint. rancho. A ranch is also referred to as an Apalomino is a horse with a golden color. hacienda. Structures on the ranch include According to Watts, the term palomino the big house, which includes a cocina, the comes originally from the Spanish paloma, bunkhouse, and the "corrals." Fences on a and makes reference to the grayish-golden ranch are made of wire, or alambre. In a color of the dove (p.237). Southwestern town, houses of poor quality Spanish terms are also found in references to are calledjacales. Buildings constructed of groupings of animals. A group of horses adobe are called, simply, "adobes." Other including one stallion and several mares of structures with Spanish names include the the same coloring is known as a manada or town plaza, the cafe, and the " arena." maFiada. A manada can also refer to a group of mares and colts, the lead mare Innovations wearing a bell and called the "belled mare" or the caponera. The group of horses from Categorical Changes which cowboys choose their mounts is Many of the Spanish terms mentioned above known as a "cavvy." The term comes from were not only adopted into English, but they caballada, which has the same meaning as also suffered categOlial changes. This the English term: "Manada de caballos 0 de section will briefly detail some of these yeguas" (DM, p. 161). Other variations on changes, listing the most notable examples. the term include "cavvieyard," "cavvie," and "cavieta." Remuda is a synonym of cavvy. Noun to Verb A herd of cattle is sometimes called a English allows for nouns to easily transfom1 "rodear." This comes from the Spanish verb into verbs. For example, to "photograph" rodear, to encircle or round up. The telTIl someone is to take a photograph of him, and can also be used as a verb. Hedges explains to "telephone" a friend is to call him on the this use of rodear in his glossary: "As a verb, telephone. The Spanish language does not it means to hold a herd of cattle, as in, 'We allow for such a smooth transition from a rodeared the cattle in a draw across from the noun to a verb. The Spanish noun corral, dry lake.'" (p.336). A "paratha" or "parada" for instance, can be used in English as a (also often parade, pronounced like the verb, meaning to force an animal into a English "parade") is a smaller herd made up corral. To and "quirt" a horse is to of animals separated from the rodear. urge him on using and a quirt, or short Oreana pairs are an unbranded calf with his whip. The term "wrangler," from mother. A single oreana is an unbranded caballerango, produced the verb "wrangle" animal. The word (also spelled orejano or in cowboy English, meaning "to herd and orejana) refers to animals that lacked the drive horses" (Watts, p. 369). Another ear-mark or cut that identified the animal's example is the verb "to stampede," from the owner. Spanish noun estampida. "Stampede" can be a transitive verb, meaning to cause a Structures Found on the Ranch and in a group of cattle to bolt, or an intransitive Ranch Town verb, meaning to suddenly take off running. 40 Proceedings of the 1999 Deseret Language and Linguistics Society

Verb to Noun 123, emphasis mine). Finally, Hedges Just as English allows for nouns to become mentions rodear, which can be a verb, verbs, the reverse transformation is also meaning to encircle or round up (the origin pennissible. You can call someone on the of the modem rodeo), or a noun, meaning a phone, or make a phone call. Some Spanish large herd of cattle. verbs that became nouns include "dally," from dale vuelta. One tum around a saddle Verb or Noun to Adjective hom came to be known as a "dally," and a It has already been mentioned how the cowboy's skill at roping was a measure of Spanish verb rodear could also serve as a how he "took his dallies" (Hedges, p. 72). A noun, meaning a large herd of cattle. common verb in cowboy English is "savvy," Another noun that came from rodear was meaning to know or understand. The "rodeo," which is a competitive event at Spanish spelling, sabe, was often found as which cowboys show their riding and roping well. The following example is found in skills. "Cinchy" is an adjective that comes Ramon Adams's The Old-Time Cowhand: from "cinch"; it refers to a horse that is sensitive to the saddle and difficult to ride: "When scattered schools were "He saddled him in the corral, and as soon as established, and teachers imported from his cinch went tight, 01' Prescot went up in the East, the range-bred boy didn't have the air and over on his back. 'Kinda cinchy, much respect for them wisdom-bringers ain't he?' was all that Dean had to say" because they were pilgrims. To'im (Hedges, p. 259). "Bronc" is also used as an anybody that didn't savvy cows was a adjective, referring to the disposition of a greener that couldn't teach a settin' hen to horse: "A snubbin' post is used when you cluck" (p.13). rope a bronc horse or bad cattle and need to draw them up tight in order to do something As a noun, the term refers to knowledge or to them" (Green, p. 179). understanding. It can be said of a person, "There's a heap of truth in that old sayin', Attributives 'Put a cowman afoot and he don't know a In English, nearly any noun can become an thing.' Yet the sayin' itselfs a compliment to adjective, which allows for formations such his savvy ofhosses and cattle" (Adams, as "manana manner," which is found in 1961,p.12);orofahorse: "Iwasridin'a Dobie's A Vaquero o/the Brush Country: big stout chestnut horse called Bob that had "He was deep in the joys of constructing, lots of cow savvy and was fast on his feet" purely in an imaginative and manana (Green, p. 227). manner, a ten-storied marble hotel at San Another Spanish verb that is used in Antonio for the use of old time trail drivers English as a noun was pasear. As a noun it and the cattle people of generations to come" means a stroll, but is usually used ironically (p. xi). English also allows for nouns to be and refers to a fairly large distance: "Now, used as adjectives, without necessarily immediately after coming into possession of losing their classification as nouns, as in the Payaso I made, for private reasons, a combinations "ice cream cone" and considerable pasear into the Devil's River "basketball team." In these examples the country to the south and west" (Dobie, p. nouns "ice cream" and "basketball" serve to Spanish Additions to the Cowboy Lexicon 41 modify other nouns, "cone" and "team." meaning. In the following example, Adams Spanish allows for this type of modification (1961) refers to the cowboy's flair for very infrequently. However, some Spanish profanity: "When he uncinched this talent nouns, after being integrated into English and tumed 'er loose, he was a top hand at it, could be used to modify other nouns. and had mighty few equals" (p. 24). A "Rodear" and "rodeo" came to be used in cavvy refers to a herd of horses, but Ramon this way, as in the "rodeo circuit," "rodeo Adams makes reference to the "cavvy of

boys", and the "rodear ~around" (Hedaesb , graybacks" (fleas) that a cowboy might 207). Similarly, the noun "cinch" and the inherit ifhe wasn't careful about his hygiene verb "dally" serve as modifiers in (p.71). Kelton uses the verb "to wrangle" to constructions such as "cinch leather" and mean to argue: "Breed was a small matter, "dally rubber." something to josh a competitor about -- like wrangling over Fords and Chevrolets" (p. Semantic Changes 278). A "dally" is one turn of the rope This section will discuss the semantic around the saddle horn to keep a roped changes that many hispanicisms underwent animal in place. Adams talks of a "dally" of after their adoption into English. The the tongue that keeps a cowman's temper in metaphorical use of "conal" has already place: "It was the greener's ignorance that been mentioned, where it comes to mean to made the range man hobble his lip and put a corner a horse or a person. In addition to dally on his tongue, because the first time he adopting metaphorical uses, Spanish tern1S said somethin' 'round a tenderfoot a herd of adopted into English came to be used in questions came foggin' his way" (1961, redundant constructions and even produced p.18). A cowboy who liked to practice his new words with new meanings. All of these quick draw was said to have the "pronto semantic changes indicated that the tenn in bug" (Adams, 187). One of the most question had been completely integrated into colorful metaphors used by cowboys was the English language and was at that point that of the verb "to pecos": "To 'pecos' a subject to all of the possible transfonnations man one shot him and rolled his body into of the language. the river -- the one river that drained an empire" (Dobie, p. 275). Figllrative uses The cowboy's language is full of colorful Redundant Constructions comparisons and metaphors. In fact, the The topic of redundant fonns falls under the cowboy's unique and picturesque style of section on categorical change, as well as language has been the subject of books, such under the section on semantic change. The as The Cowman Says it Salty by Ramon hispanicism in such fonns was generally a Adams and Happy Trails: A Dictionary of noun that had been converted into an Western Expressions by Hendrickson. The adjective. As such, it became a modifier use of hispanicisms in metaphors shows that refened to a specific variety of thing, their integration into his language. The verb rather than the thing itself. For example, "to cinch" is sometimes used metaphorically, grama is a Spanish tenn for grass. In the as mentioned in a previous section. A new redundant fonnation "grama grass," fonn, "to uncinch," also has a metaphorical however, it refers to a specific type of grass 42 Proceedings of the 1999 Deseret Language and Linguistics Society and distinguishes it from other varieties, The use of such interviews, including such as "buffalo grass" (L'Amour, p. 22). acceptability judgments from the Sometimes redundant fOlTl1s do not imply a interviewees, would be an excellent addition change in meaning, such as "wild mustang to a future study because they would lend a horse" and "lariat rope" (Erickson, p. 16). CUlTent viewpoint to the study and they would enable the analysis of phonetic New words (derivations) changes. A third source of proof that a Spanish word has been integrated into English is its Note: An abridged version of this paper has propensity to produce new fom1s. For been printed in La Marca Hispanica, a instance, the noun "stampede" led to the journal published by the Department of transitive verb "to stampede," from which Spanish and Portuguese of Brigham Young the agent noun stampeder derives: "There University. This paper differs from that was always some old "stampeder" or two version in several aspects, including the layin' out on the fringe lookin' for boogers" incorporation of the section on innovations. (Adams, 1961, p. 36). A "mustanger" is a man who hunts mustangs. A "semi-bronc" Works Cited is a bronc that is somewhat manageable, but still fairly wild (Adams, 1961, p. 247). The Adams, Ramon F. The Cowman Says it verb fOlTl1 of "cinch" produced the adjective Salty. Tucson, Arizona: University of "cinchy" (Hedges, p.259), the verb "to Arizona Press. uncinch" (Adams, p. 24) and the verb Adams, Ramon F. (1961). The Old-Time "recinch" (Adams, p. 248). "Locoed" Cowhand. New York: The MacMillan derives from loco, as in "loco weed." Company. Blevins, Winfred. (1993). Dictionary of the Conclusion American West. New York: Facts on This paper has presented a detailed, but by File. no means exhaustive, list of Spanish tenns Clarke, Thomas L. (1996). Western Lore found in cowboy English literature from the and Language: A Dictionary for 1800s to the present. The categorical and Enthusiasts of the American West. Salt semantic changes experienced by many of Lake City: University of Utah Press. the telTl1s have been explained. These Corominas, Joan and Pascual, Jose A. changes indicate the degree of integration of (1983). Diccionario critico etimol6gico a tenn into the English language. Further castellano e hispanico, Vols. 1-5. proof of this high level of integration is the Madrid: Editorial Gredos. fact that some telTl1s have become so altered Dobie, J. Frank. (1943). A Vaquero of the from their original Spanish fonn and so Brush Country. Boston: Little, Brown frequent in English that their origin is not and Company. (Reprint - original version ordinarily recognized by cowboys or other published in 1929) English speakers. (1971. The Cowman S Erickson, John R. (1981). The Modern This study has not taken into account the Cowboy. Lincoln: University of oral language of modem-day cowboys, Nebraska Press. which would be found in live interviews. Spanish Additions to the Cowboy Lexicon 43

Green, Ben K. (1969). Wild Cow Tales. New York: Knopf. Haley, J. Evetts. (1949). Charles Goodnight: Cowman and Plainsman. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press. Hedges, Mackey. (1995). Last Buckaroo. Salt Lake: Gibbs Smith, Publisher. Hendrickson, Robert. (1994). Happy Trails: A Dictionary of Western Expressions. New York: Facts on File. Islas Escarcega, Leovigildo. (1945). Vocabulario Campesino Nacional. Mexico: Secretaria de Agricultura y Fomento. Kelton, Elmer. (1973). The Time It Never Rained. Garden City, NY: Doubleday & Company, Inc. L'Amour, Louis. (1951). The Rustlers of West ForIe A Hopalong Cassidy Novel. New York: Bantam Books. Santamaria, Francisco J. (1983). Diccionario de Mejicanismos. Mexico: Editorial Porma, S. A. Shakespeare, William. King Henry V. In The Complete Works of William Shakespeare. Stamford, Connecticut: Longmeadow Press. Sobarzo, Horacio. (1984). Vocabulario Sonorense. Hermosillo: Gobiemo del Estado de Sonora. Watts, Peter. (1977). A Dictionary of the Old West 1850-1900. New York: Wings Books.