Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “gringo” come from?

Gringo comes from Spanish gringo, derived from Spanish griego meaning Greek, from Latin graecus, from Ancient Greek Γραικός, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European ǵerh₂-.

gringo (English): a white person from an English-speaking country,...

Definitions

  1. a white person from an English-speaking country,...

Ancestry of “gringo”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Spanishgringoa foreigner whose native language is not Spanish;...
2SpanishgriegoGreek, Grecian; a Greek; anal sex
3LatinGraecusGreek, Grecian, of or pertaining to the Greek...
4Ancient GreekΓραικόςGreek; a Graecian, a member of an ancient...
5Ancient Greekγραῖα—
6Proto-Indo-Europeanǵerh₂-to grow old, to mature

Words derived from “gringo”

  • Gringolandia
  • Gringoland
  • Gringolândia
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ǵerh₂- →