Spanglish
/ˈspæŋ.ɡlɪʃ/noun
A hybrid variety of speech that combines elements of Spanish and English.
Did you know?The term is often associated with Puerto Rican writer Salvador Tió, who used the Spanish form “espanglish” in the mid-20th century to describe Spanish–English mixing.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
Proto-Germanic
*Angulaz
“The Angles, a Germanic people whose name referred to their region or tribal identity”
Old English
Old English
Englisc
“Of the Angles; the language and culture of the English people”
Medieval Latin
Latin
Hispania
“The Iberian Peninsula, the source of the later name Spain”
16th–19th Centuries
Spanish and English
español / English
“The names of the two languages that would later form the blend”
Mid-20th Century
Spanish
espanglish
“A term used for speech mixing Spanish and English, notably associated with Puerto Rican writer Salvador Tió”
20th Century–Present
English
Spanglish
“A recognized label for diverse forms of bilingual Spanish–English speech and writing”
Explore more surprising origins