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From: radzy@calma.UUCP (Tim Radzykewycz)
Newsgroups: net.politics,net.nlang
Subject: Re: One for our side (gringo)
Message-ID: <66@calma.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 20-Nov-85 15:07:15 EST
Article-I.D.: calma.66
Posted: Wed Nov 20 15:07:15 1985
Date-Received: Sat, 23-Nov-85 09:59:41 EST
References: <973@decwrl.UUCP> <12580@rochester.UUCP>
Reply-To: radzy@calma.UUCP (Tim Radzykewycz)
Organization: GE/Calma Co., R&D Systems Engineering, Milpitas, CA
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Xref: linus net.politics:11436 net.nlang:3471

In article <775@cornell.UUCP> dailey@cornell.UUCP (John Hudgins Dailey) writes:
>I had heard that "gringo" came from the fact that in one of
>the U.S.'s confrontations in Latin America ( the Spanish-Am.
>war or perhaps Texas' fight for independence) the North
>American soldiers wore green uniforms.  The other side would
>chant " Green(s) go (home)".

I've also heard this version of the origin of "gringo".
Unfortunately, I don't beleive any of the origins posted so
far, including this one.  That's not to say that I beleive
they are all wrong, but rather, that I recognize them all as
"folk etymology", and thus not to be trusted.

If there is a linguist out there who has done research into
this word (I know they used to get PhD's for thoroughly
researching the history of a word, so asking this here isn't
quite so crazy as it seems), could you please give us an
enlightenment?  Please include references, related words, and
history, including phonetic changes and the phonetic rules
which caused these changes.  Also, include why you were
researching it and your credentials (e.g. Master's study for
AM degree, amateur study as hobby, etc).
-- 
Tim (radzy) Radzykewycz, The Incredible Radical Cabbage
	calma!radzy@ucbvax.ARPA
	{ucbvax,sun,csd-gould}!calma!radzy