carajo
Contents |
Spanish[edit]
Etymology[edit]
The etymology is unknown, but the most plausible source on the basis of both semantics and historical phonology appears to be unattested Latin *c(h)araculum, which would have been a Latinized diminutive of Greek charax 'stick'. This also provides a single, phonologically coherent source for the cognates Portuguese caralho and Catalan carall. Attempts to attribute carajo and Italian cazzo to the same etymon fail on phonological grounds, as the /r/ of carajo (or its absence in cazzo) remains unexplained, and no Latin phonological sequence develops as both /x/ in Spanish and /tts/ in Italian.
Pronunciation[edit]
- IPA: /kaˈɾaxo/
Noun[edit]
carajo m (plural carajos)
- (Spain) penis
- crow’s nest
Synonyms[edit]
Interjection[edit]
carajo
- (South America, Northwestern Spain) shit!
- ¿Qué carajo quieres? — What the fuck do you want?
- ¡Vete al carajo! — Go to hell!
- Me importa un carajo. — I don’t give a shit.
- ¡Aquí hay un pueblo digno, Yanquís de mierda! ¡Vayanse al carajo cien veces! — We are a dignified people, you piece of shit Yankees! Go to hell 100 times! (Used by Hugo Chávez about George W. Bush.)
Usage notes[edit]
This is considered to be a taboo word by many in South America and is replaced by the euphemistic forms caramba or carrizo depending on the context and in which country the term is used.
