Where does “Runyonese” come from?
Runyonese (English) comes from English ese, from Mexican Spanish ese, from Latin ipse, from Proto-Italic *e(s)peso — himself, herself, itself.
Runyonese (English): The language of the narrator in the stories of Damon Runyon: a mixture of formal speech and colorful slang, usually in the present tense and devoid of contractions
Definitions
- The language of the narrator in the stories of Damon Runyon: a mixture of formal speech and colorful slang, usually in the present tense and devoid of contractions
Ancestry of “Runyonese”, step by step
Runyonese traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English ese
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | ese | dude, man |
| 2 | Mexican Spanish | ese | The name of the Latin-script letter S; that;... |
| 3 | Latin | ipse | himself, herself, itself, the very, the actual;... |
| 4 | Proto-Italic | *e(s)peso | himself, herself, itself |
via English Runyon
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | Runyon | — |