Llanito

Llanito, also known as Yanito, is a special way of speaking used in Gibraltar, a British overseas territory. It mixes Andalusian Spanish with many words from English and other languages, like Ligurian. People in Gibraltar often switch between Spanish and English while talking, and they use many English words and words borrowed from other Mediterranean languages.

Llanito is very important to the people of Gibraltar, who sometimes call themselves Llanitos. However, the English language is becoming more common, especially among younger people, who often speak very little Llanito even though they learn Spanish in school. Because of this, Llanito has been called "Gibraltar's dying mother-tongue."

Etymology

The word Llanito has several possible origins, and we are not exactly sure how it started. In Spanish, llanito means "little flatland," and one idea is that it describes the "people of the flatlands." Some think that people from La Línea, a nearby town with strong ties to Gibraltar, were called Llanitos because their town is flat and marshy.

Another idea is that Llanito comes from the name Gianni, a common Italian name. In the late 1700s, many people in Gibraltar came from Genoa, and Gianni was a popular name. Over time, the name changed a bit in pronunciation. Some also think the term might come from the English name Johnny. Finally, some believe llanito described the simple, everyday language spoken by people in Gibraltar.

History

The formation of Llanito was most influenced by several important periods. In 1713, the Treaty of Utrecht gave Gibraltar to the United Kingdom. After the Spanish War of Independence and the Peninsular War, British authorities created an education system inspired by Britain. During the evacuation of Gibraltar in the Second World War, officials found that many people in Gibraltar did not speak enough English, so Spanish became just a foreign language subject in schools. From 1969 to 1982, Spanish governments closed "the fence", stopping Spanish workers from entering Gibraltar, which reduced the use of Spanish at work and at home.

Language

Llanito is a special way of speaking that comes from Andalusian Spanish around the area of Campo de Gibraltar. It mixes many languages together, especially British English. You can find words from Genoese, Ligurian, Hebrew, Maltese, Portuguese, Menorcan Catalan, and Darija Arabic in Llanito.

People who speak Llanito often switch between Spanish and English in their sentences. This mixing of languages makes Llanito unique. Even though Llanito isn’t usually written down, there have been dictionaries made to help people learn it.

Core elements of Llanito vocabulary

Llanito is mostly based on everyday Spanish from the Campo de Gibraltar area, but it includes many special words and phrases that make it unique. These come from English and other languages.

One group of words in Llanito comes from English. For example, echegarai means 'watchman' or 'guard' and comes from the English phrase 'Check Gate'. Another example is focona, which means the Gibraltar border with Spain and comes from the English 'Four Corners'. Sometimes, Llanito uses words that sound like English but have a different meaning in standard Spanish, like using darle una apología to mean 'to give him an apology' instead of asking for forgiveness.

Llanito also uses some English phrases changed into Spanish. For example, te llamo p'atrás means 'I'll call you back', copying the English phrase. Other examples include dar p'atrás ('to give back'), venir p'atrás ('to come back'), hablar p'atrás ('to talk back'), and pagar p'atrás ('to pay back'). These phrases use p'atrás to mimic English words ending in 'back'.

There are also phrases in Llanito that mix Spanish and English in funny ways. For example, don't give me the tin comes from the Spanish no me des la lata, meaning 'stop annoying me'. Another fun phrase is what a cachon-finger!, which playfully uses parts of Spanish and English to mean 'what a joke!'.

Some local expressions in Llanito are special to Gibraltar. One example is ¿tú quién te crees que eres? ¿El hijo del Melbil?, used when someone is acting too important. This phrase plays on the name 'Melville', referring to a famous British leader from the past.

Linguistic research

Laura Wright, an English professor at the University of Cambridge, and Sophie Macdonald, a Gibraltarian student she was guiding, started studying the Llanito language in 2022. Although Wright’s request for funding from the Gibraltarian government was not approved, she encouraged a minister to include protecting Llanito in his election plans. She receives support from local writer M. G. Sanchez.

Broadcasting

The Gibraltar Broadcasting Corporation has shown shows in Llanito. One of these shows is called Talk About Town. In this show, three hosts talk about local issues, from small things like needing new street signs to bigger topics about politics.

There was also a cooking show called Pepe's Pot that used Llanito too.

Film

A documentary film called People of the Rock: The Llanitos of Gibraltar from 2011 talks about Llanito’s special way of speaking, its history, and the culture of the people who use it. The film includes interesting conversations with Pepe Palmero from GBC’s Pepe’s Pot, Kaiane Aldorino, who was Miss World in 2009, and Tito Vallejo, the author of The Llanito Dictionary.