Vol. 09 · Loanwords ·Spanish ·1830s
Amigo
from amigo
- Meaning
- A friend (informal).
- Source word
- amigo
- Route into English
- Spanish *amigo* (friend, from Latin *amicus*) → American English via Southwest contact. Always informal, often jocular; never fully naturalised the way *buddy* is.
- Arrived
- 1830s
From Spanish
American Spanish, not peninsular Spanish, provided most of the modern loanwords — through US expansion westward and Latin American trade.
English borrows.
Browse the full loanword atlas or explore another source language.