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Spanish Words Become Our Own

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By Gerald Erichsen, About.com

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  • tobacco (from tabaco, a word possibly of Caribbean origin)
  • taco (In Spanish, a taco can refer to a stopper, plug or wad. In other words, a taco originally meant a wad of food. Indeed, in Mexico, the variety of tacos is almost endless, far more varied than the beef, lettuce and cheese combination of U.S.-style fast food.)
  • tamale (The Spanish singular for this Mexican dish is tamal. The English comes from an erroneous backformation of the Spanish plural, tamales.)
  • tamarillo (type of tree, derived from tomatillo, a small tomato)
  • tango
  • tequila (named after a Mexican town of the same name)
  • tejano (type of music)
  • tomatillo
  • tomato (from tomate, derived from Nahuatl tomatl)
  • toreador
  • tornado (from tronada, thunderstorm)
  • tortilla (in Spanish, an omelet often is a tortilla)
  • tuna (from atún)
  • vamoose (from vamos, a form of "to go")
  • vanilla (from vainilla)
  • vaquero (English regionalism for a cowboy)
  • vicuña (animal similar to a llama, from Quechua wikuña)
  • vigilante (from adjective for "vigilant")
  • vinegarroon (from vinagrón)
  • wrangler (some sources say word is derived from Mexican Spanish caballerango, one who grooms horses, while other sources say the word comes from German)
  • yucca (from yuca, originally a Caribbean word)
  • zapateado (a type of dance emphasizing movement of the heels)
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