tango English · revision 1179

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /ˈtæ̞ŋɡəʊ̯/ ''(UK)''; /ˈtæ̝ŋɡoʊ̯/, /ˈtæ̝ŋɡɔʊ̯/ ''(US)''^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[bor|es|tango]] from Argentine Spanish,^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU) originally the name of a dance to drums,^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline) probably of Niger-Congo origin;^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline) Ibibio ''tamgu'' “to dance” has been compared.^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ A Spanish flamenco dance (1896).^(Barnhart 1995)^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The syncopated ballroom dance from Argentina became a craze in Britain and America in 1913,^(Etymonline)^(OED 1989) the year both the noun in this sense and the verb are first recorded.^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(MW Collegiate)^(OED 1989) The name was also given to a deep orange colour in 1913.^(OED 1989) The phrase ''it takes two to tango'' was a song title in 1952,^(Etymonline)^(OED 1989) and since then ''tango'' has also served as the code word for the letter ''T''.^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1896 – a Spanish flamenco dance.^(Barnhart 1995)^(OED 1989)

+ * 1913 – the Argentine ballroom dance; verb, to dance it; a deep orange colour.^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(MW Collegiate)^(OED 1989)

+ * 1952 – ''it takes two to tango''; code word for ''T''.^(Etymonline)^(OED 1989)^(MW Collegiate)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A [[ballroom]] dance of Latin American origin in 2/4 or 4/4 time, with long pauses and stylized poses.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)

+ # The music for this dance.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)

+ # A dealing or interaction marked by a lack of straightforwardness.^(MW Collegiate)

+ # A code word for the letter ''T'' in radio communication.^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ===Verb===

+ # To dance the tango.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)

+ # To interact or deal with each other.^(OED 1989)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[tangolike]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[flamenco]]

+ * [[habanera]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}