Malespín

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The Malespín is a kind of slang which originated in the 19th century in El Salvador and then spread to the rest of Central America. Currently it is residual, and only subsists in a few words in the speech of Hispanic people.

Tradition says that this slang was invented as a sort of key for the Salvadoran military and political Francisco Malespín.

Róger Matus Lazo of the Nicaraguan Academy of Language, refers to Don Alfonso Valle in his "Dictionary of the Nicaraguan speech" (2nd ed, 1972), He explain that the Malespín is a kind of slang spoken between youngs, especially students, and by "ladies" of the "good society".

Broadly speaking, it is to change some letters by others, as follows:

  • a for e
  • i for o
  • b for t
  • f for g
  • p for m

and vice versa.

Valle adds: "There is a tradition that that it invented the Salvadoran general Francisco Malespín, the same as the year of 1845 burned and looted León, metropolis of Nicaragua.

Says Julián Corrales Munguía, in his work "The language of the underworld: the slang" (1972), that the key of malespín, so popular in past years, has been forgotten in general, but there are some people who remember perfectly.

Róger Matus Lazo expressed that in gang language of Nicaragua are some words with slight variants of the original word. In the following examples it write the words as pronounced now, and in brackets as should be written according to the key of "classic" malespín (a>e, i>o, b>t, m>p, f>g, y p>m):

  • arpene or curpeni (arpeni) brother;
  • nelfes, nelfin or nelfis (nelfes): buttocks;
  • acoi (eco): here;
  • cedania (cedane): string;
  • cunabi, cuñedi or cuñefli (cuñedi): brother;
  • menfli (mafe) paste or glue for smell;
  • nicha (niche) night;
  • detroi (datres): behind;
  • esconi (asconi): corner;
  • percedi or percebi (percedi): market;
  • chinandofi (chonendafe): chinandega;
  • Frenedi (Frenede): Granada;
  • frendi (frenda): big, strong person;
  • Penefi or Benefia (Penefue): Managua.

Sometimes, there is hesitation in some words, as shown in the alternations in the vowel and the consonant system: arpene and curpeni (brother); cunabi, cuñedi and cuñefli (brother in law); Benefia and Penefi (Managua); nelfin, nelfis and nelfes (hips); percebi and percedi (market).

In the Central American countries it have taken some words of this slang, usually with slight variations of the original term, which users themselves have changed through forgetfulness or ignorance of the key. According to the key of the malespín, there are many words in popular and colloquial use derived from this language; including, for example, the following:

  • acoi (eco): here;
  • arpene or curpeni (arpeni) brother;
  • bimbolli: fool
  • breteji (brete): work;
  • cencinolli: Briefs
  • cedania (cedane): string;
  • cegá: coffee;
  • cetolli: horse;
  • jincho: Indian
  • chinandofi (chonendafe): chinandega;
  • cunabi, cuñedi or cuñefli (cuñedi): brother;
  • detroi (datres): behind;
  • Estelfi: Estelí;
  • esconi (asconi): corner;
  • frendi (frenda): big, strong person;
  • Frenedi, Frenede; Granada
  • guajolli: old person;
  • machín: ridiculous, Indian;
  • Masaya: Masachuset;
  • Matagalpa: Mataplenfi;
  • men: bread
  • menfli (mafe) paste or glue for smell;
  • mlebe: silver
  • nafri: black
  • nelfes, nelfin or nelfis (nelfes): buttocks;
  • nicha (niche) night;
  • pelis: bad people;
  • penefi or benefia (penefue);
  • perbacoye: butter
  • percedi or percebi (percedi) market;
  • perone: marine
  • tuanis: good people;

Nicaragua

In Nicaragua, the words "nelfis" ('hips') and "tuani" ('good') have become part of popular speech. In Costa Rica, there is a variant "tuanis".

Costa Rica

In Costa Rica it is very common nowadays the word "brete" ('lock' as an abbreviation of work) and the word "Tuanis" ("Good people"). Both are words originating from the Malespín. The street slang or jargon of Costa Rica is known as "pachuco", a regional variation of the Spanish influenced by words and expressions in English, French, Malespín code, Limonense Creole, traditional Spanish and other terms of use popular in Costa Rica.

What is clear, given this summary, is that very common words like "detroi"=behind or "tuanis" (plural of tuani)= good, come of the Malespín, not English as many people, that for simple ignorance they say. For this "too nice" has nothing to do at all with "tuanis" or "Detroit" with "detroi", and is summarized to simple phonetic similarities.

"Acoi" ('here') is also used in Spain.

References