dago

English

Etymology

Alteration of diego (“Spaniard”), from Spanish Diego (common Spanish name) by law of Hobson-Jobson.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈdeɪɡəʊ/

• Audio (Southern England)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -eɪɡəʊ

Noun

dago (plural dagoes or dagos)

1. (UK, slang, offensive, ethnic slur) A person of Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Greek, or other Mediterranean descent.
   • 1933 January 9, George Orwell [pseudonym; Eric Arthur Blair], chapter XXVIII, in Down and Out in Paris and London, London: Victor Gollancz […], →OCLC:

     And all foreigners to him were "dem bloody dagoes"—for, according to his theory, foreigners were responsible for unemployment.

2. (US, Australia, slang, offensive, ethnic slur) A person of Italian descent.

   Synonyms: Eyetie, goombah, greaseball, guido, guinea, wog, wop

   • 1963, J P Donleavy, A Singular Man, published 1963 (USA), page 19:

     "Matilda's making us omelettes, that all right, Miss Tomson."
     "Are they going to reek."
     "Dear me, I hope not. I instructed her to leave out particularly strong ingredients."
     "Just so I don't leave here smelling like a dago."

Usage notes

• The word has sometimes been reclaimed in recent years by its targets, with people of Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, and Greek origin themselves adopting the term. In the Upper Midwest region of the United States, the term is used for several Italian-inspired food items.
• The term may have originated following British or American encounters with Portuguese and Spanish sailors. "Diego" is the Portuguese nickname for any deckhand. After transforming into "dago" in English and becoming a common term for Spanish and Portuguese people, the slur expanded in usage to then refer to Italians and Italian immigrants, another Mediterranean and Latin ethnic group.
• The Hill in St. Louis, an Italian-American enclave, is often referred to colloquially as "Dago Hill."

Derived terms

• dago bomb
• dago dazzler
• dago red

Translations

person of Italian descent — see wop

Anagrams

• Goad, Goda, doga, goad

Afar

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /daˈɡo/, [dʌˈɡɔ]
• Hyphenation: da‧go

Verb

dagó (inchoative daggoowé)

1. (stative) be few

Conjugation

Conjugation of dago (type III verb)
		1st singular	2nd singular	3rd singular		1st plural	2nd plural	3rd plural
				m	f
present indicative I	V-affirmative	dagiyóh	dagitóh	dagóh	dagóh	daginóh	dagitoonúh	dagoonúh
	N-affirmative	dagiyó	dagitó	dagó	dagó	daginó	dagitón	dagón
	negative	mádagiyo	mádagito	mádago	mádago	mádagino	mádagiton	mádagon
present indicative II		affirmative present indicative I + imperfective of én
past indicative I		dáguk + perfective of én
past indicative II		dáguk + perfective of sugé
present potential	affirmative	dagiyóm takkéh	dagitóm takkéh	dagóm takkéh	dagóm takkéh	daginóm takkéh	dagitoonúm takkéh	dagoonúm takkéh
past conditional	affirmative	dáguk + past conditional of sugé
		-h converb	-k converb	-in(n)uh converb	infinitive
		dágih	dáguk	dagínnuh	dagíyya

References

• E. M. Parker, R. J. Hayward (1985) “dago”, in An Afar-English-French dictionary (with Grammatical Notes in English), University of London, →ISBN

Basque

Pronunciation

• Audio

  (file)

• IPA^(key): /daɡo/ [d̪a.ɣ̞o]
• Rhymes: -aɡo
• Hyphenation: da‧go

Verb

dago

1. Third-person singular (hura) present indicative form of egon (“to be”).

Northern Sami

Noun

dagọ

1. genitive singular of dahku

Old Saxon

Noun

dago

1. genitive plural of dag