Yanito

Yanito is the name for the patois or creole spoken in Gibraltar. It is a mixture of English and Andalucian Spanish with influences from Moroccan Arabic, Genoese Italian, and Hebrew, as well as other linguistic impacts (see Demographics of Gibraltar). It is often spelled Llanito, but many prefer the spelling Yanito. Gibraltarians may also call themselves 'Yanitos' (female 'Yanitas').

To many outsiders, Yanito sounds incomprehensible, as speakers appear to switch languages in mid-sentence.

Yanito: Hombre, I'm telling you que no puedes...
Spanish: Hombre, te digo que no puedes...
English: Man, I'm telling you, you can't...

Yanito: Hay call para tí.
Spanish: Hay llamada para tí.
English: There's a call for you.

Yanito: ''Sí, pero at the end of the day...'
Spanish: ''Sí, pero al fin del día...'
English: ''Yes, but at the end of the day...'

Etymology

In contention. Some attribute it to llano (plain), a reference to the isthmus between Gibraltar and Spain, or to Giovanni+-ito or even Johnny+-ito.

See also Spanglish

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