Spanish is the most widely spoken of the Romance languages and is also the official language of Spain and most countries of Central and South America. Most of the words in Spanish come from Latin. There are however many that come from other sources including: Greek, Basque, Arabic from the time the Moors (a Muslim of the mixed Berber and Arab people inhabiting NW Africa) occupied Spain, French, Italian and American Indian languages from colonial times.
A look at a few
Mano a mano
A direct or face-to-face confrontation.
Etymology: hand to hand. It basically meant on an equal footing, without advantage to either of two contestants.
Pistolero
A gunman; hired killer.
Etymology: pistol + -ero. The suffix '-ero' is equivalent to the suffix '-ary' in English which has the general sense of “pertaining to, connected with”
Vamoose
To leave hurriedly or quickly; decamp.
Etymology: From vamos ‘let us go’
Peccadillo
A minor offense.
Etymology: "slight sin," from pecado "a sin"
Incommunicado
Without the means or right of communicating with others.
Etymology: From incomunicar, ‘to deny communication’
A look at a few
Mano a mano
A direct or face-to-face confrontation.
Etymology: hand to hand. It basically meant on an equal footing, without advantage to either of two contestants.
Pistolero
A gunman; hired killer.
Etymology: pistol + -ero. The suffix '-ero' is equivalent to the suffix '-ary' in English which has the general sense of “pertaining to, connected with”
Vamoose
To leave hurriedly or quickly; decamp.
Etymology: From vamos ‘let us go’
Peccadillo
A minor offense.
Etymology: "slight sin," from pecado "a sin"
Incommunicado
Without the means or right of communicating with others.
Etymology: From incomunicar, ‘to deny communication’
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