Word origins

• jerkyCharacterized by physical jerking, or by sudden and uneven progress.
• pompanoAny of various carangid fish of genus Trachinotus or species Alectis ciliaris (African pompano), from coastal parts of the North Atlantic.
• reggaetonA style of Latin American popular music, originally developing from reggae in Panama but now more of a type of hip hop-dance music mainly associated with Puerto Rico.
• hidalgoA member of the Spanish nobility, especially one without a title.
• AntoniaA female given name from Spanish.
• DelgadoA surname from Spanish
• PadillaA surname from Spanish.
• penaA Meitei classical musical instrument.
• calderaA large crater formed by collapse of the cone or edifice of a volcano.
• ChiapasA state of Mexico.
• ComancheA member of a Native American ethnic group residing especially in Texas and Oklahoma.
• rotoA Chilean, especially a common man or lower-class Chilean.
• FidelA male given name from Spanish.
• ZaragozaA city, the regional capital of Aragon, Spain.
• ariasA surname from Spanish.
• chiaA Mexican sage grown for its edible seeds, Salvia hispanica.
• hombreMan, chap, guy; especially a Hispanic or Spanish man.
• chicaA Latin-American girl; a Latina.
• SolanaA surname from Spanish.
• merinoA sheep of a Spanish breed with long, fine hair.
• loboA wolf.
• ponchoA simple garment, made from a rectangle of cloth, with a slit in the middle for the head.
• papayaA tropical American evergreen tree, Carica papaya, having large, yellow, edible fruit.
• mariposaA mariposa lily (Calochortus spp.).
• SalazarA toponymic surname from Spanish [in turn from Basque].
• RentaA surname from Spanish.
• CristoA surname from the Romance languages.
• piqueTo wound the pride of (someone); to excite to anger; to irritate, to offend.
• OrtegaA surname from Spanish.
• cannibalAn organism which eats others of its own species or kind, especially a human who consumes human flesh.
• manoA stone resembling a rolling pin, used to grind maize or other grain on a metate.
• SegundoA surname from Spanish.
• MarquezA surname from Spanish.
• IgnacioA surname from Spanish.
• PradoA surname.
• naoA Spanish or Portuguese carrack.
• JimenezA surname from Spanish.
• FilipinaA female citizen or local inhabitant of the Philippines, or descendant of such.
• cajonA large valley surrounded by mountains of considerable height (especially in Latin America), through which a river runs.
• oaxacaA semihard white cheese from the Oaxaca region of Mexico.
• SosaA surname.
• YolandaA female given name from Spanish.
• holaHello, hi, hey.
• RochaA surname from Portuguese.
• fandangoA form of lively flamenco music and dance that has many regional variations (e.g. fandango de Huelva), some of which have their own names (e.g. malagueña, granadina).
• medioA traditional Spanish unit of dry measure, equivalent to about 2.3 L.
• iguanaA green iguana (Iguana iguana), a large tropical American lizard often kept as a pet.
• oreganoA herb of the mint family, Origanum vulgare, having aromatic leaves.
• dulceSweet.
• FuerteventuraAn island of the Canary Islands. Capital: Puerto del Rosario.
• serranoA member of a Native American tribe of Southern California.
• condeThe duty of directing a ship, usually used with the verb to have or to take and accompanied by the article "the."
• caballeroA horseman, particularly in the Latin American context
• juntaThe committee of military officers that have usurped political control.
• FuentesA surname from Spanish.
• rinconA surname from Spanish.
• JuanitaA female given name from Spanish.
• RaquelA female given name from Hebrew.
• posadaA traditional Mexican Christmas procession.
• tiburonA shark; now specifically, Sphyrna tiburo or Negaprion brevirostris.
• pitaA piece of pita bread; a flatbread pouch used for making sandwiches such as gyros or falafels.
• ArmandoA surname.
• ocaAny member of the species Oxalis tuberosa (syn. Oxalis crenata), which bear edible tubers.
• dengueAn acute febrile disease of the (sub)tropics caused by the Dengue virus, a flavivirus, transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes, and characterized by high fever, rash, headache, and severe muscle and joint pain.
• DuroA surname.
• ONAA language spoken by the Selk'nam people in Isla Grande de Tierra del Fuego in southernmost South America.
• noaNon-taboo; serving to replace a taboo name or term.
• SantanderA city and port, the capital of the autonomous community of Cantabria, on the north coast of Spain.
• tapasA variety of Spanish small savoury food items or snacks such as croquettes, cured meat, potato salad, and seafood, originally served with sherry and now often with other alcoholic beverages as well.
• AguilarA surname from Spanish.
• graciasThank you.
• lassoA long rope with a sliding loop on one end, generally used in ranching to catch cattle and horses.
• cabanaA cabin or hut for relaxing.
• PecosA river which flows through Texas and New Mexico, a tributary of the Rio Grande.
• burritoA Mexican dish consisting of a flour tortilla wrapped around a filling of meat and/or beans, cheese etc.
• MontoyaA surname from Spanish [in turn from Basque].
• sucreThe former currency of Ecuador, divided into 100 centavos.
• presidioA garrisoned place, especially one that is or was once under Spanish control.
• SausalitoA city in Marin County, California, United States.
• presidenteA Cuban cocktail made from rum, curaçao, dry vermouth, and grenadine that is stirred or shaken with cracked ice.
• GuzmanA surname from Spanish.
• SociedadA town in Morazán department, El Salvador.
• hastagoodbye
• culoass
• FuenteA surname from Spanish.
• MagdalenaA female given name, variant of Magdalene.
• mantaA kind of fabric or blanket used in Latin America and southwestern United States.
• BanderaA surname from Spanish.
• cilantroThe stems and leaves of the coriander plant, Coriandrum sativum, used as a seasoning and garnish in cooking.
• MercadoA surname from Spanish.
• primaveraDescribing a light vegetable sauce, especially one served with pasta.
• casasA surname from Spanish.
• chaparralA region of shrubs, typically dry in the summer and rainy in the winter. The coast of the Mediterranean is such a region.
• RubioA surname from Spanish.
• castellanoA traditional Spanish unit of mass, equivalent to about 4.8 g.
• FormosaSynonym of Taiwan: an island of East Asia.
• abaloneAn edible univalve mollusc of the genus Haliotis, having a shell lined with mother-of-pearl.
• rigorA surname from Spanish.
• CervantesA municipality of Os Ancares, Lugo, Galicia, Spain.
• MexicanaA store that sells Mexican products.