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flamenco

Etymology and origin of the English word flamenco

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Pronunciation

  • IPA: /fləˈmɛŋkəʊ/ (UK)[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Spanish flamenco (“Flemish, Andalusian Gypsy, flamingo”).[2][3][4][5][6] In the sense “Flemish” the Spanish word comes from Middle Dutch Vlaminc (“Fleming”).[2][4][5] Why it came to mean the Gypsies of Andalusia and their dance is variously explained:[4][6] Barnhart takes it from flamenco “flamingo”, for the dancers' showy appearance,[3] while Etymonline lists theories based on Flanders, such as the bright costumes associated with it, or a habit of naming things by their opposites.[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

A Gypsy (1880), and Gypsy dancing in Andalusia (1882), in Etymonline;[4] Barnhart, Merriam-Webster and the OED date the word to 1896.[3][5][7][2]

Semantic evolution

The word names both the strongly rhythmic dance style, with hand-clapping and foot-stamping,[2][5][6] and the intense, improvisatory music and song that accompany it.[2][5][6] Etymonline compares the sense shift from “Fleming” to “Gypsy” with that of bohemian.[4]

Timeline

  • 1880 – a Gypsy.[4]
  • 1882 – Gypsy dancing in Andalusia.[4]
  • 1896 – first recorded in Barnhart, Merriam-Webster and the OED.[3][5][7]

Modern meaning

Noun

  1. A vigorous, rhythmic dance style of the Andalusian Gypsies, with stamping and clapping; also a dance in this style.
  2. The guitar music or song that accompanies such dancing.

Verb

  1. To dance flamenco.

References

  1. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (1992), 3rd ed., Boston: Houghton Mifflin
  3. ^ a b c d Barnhart, Robert K., ed. (1995), The Barnhart Concise Dictionary of Etymology, New York: HarperCollins
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h Harper, Douglas, Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  5. ^ a b c d e f Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary (2003), 11th ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
  6. ^ a b c d Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary (1999), 2nd ed., New York: Random House
  7. ^ a b Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press

Related etymologies

Cite this entry

“Flamenco.” Etymologically, 11 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/en/flamenco. Accessed 11 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·