Tano
/ˈta.noʊ/noun
A colloquial Rioplatense Spanish term for an Italian immigrant, especially one of Neapolitan origin.
Did you know?Tano is a clipped form of Spanish napolitano, reflecting the large Neapolitan immigration that shaped Argentine culture and speech in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
Neapolis
““New city,” the Greek name for the settlement later known as Naples.”
Latin Antiquity
Latin
Neapolis
“The Latin form of the Greek place-name for Naples.”
Medieval Latin
Latin
Neapolitanus
“Of or belonging to Naples; Neapolitan.”
Medieval Spanish
Spanish
napolitano
“Neapolitan; from Naples.”
19th–20th Century
Rioplatense Spanish
tano
“A colloquial shortened form of napolitano, used for an Italian immigrant.”
Modern English
English loanword
tano
“A term encountered in discussions of Argentine and Uruguayan immigrant culture, usually retaining its Spanish sense.”
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