Llanito

American  

[yah-nee-toh, jah-nee-toh] / yɑˈni toʊ, dʒɑˈni toʊ /

noun

1. a native or inhabitant of Gibraltar.

2. Also Yanito a dialect of Andalusian Spanish spoken in Gibraltar that is heavily influenced by English, and also contains vocabulary from Genoese, Hebrew, Maltese, and Portuguese.

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Etymology

Origin of Llanito

First recorded in 1995–2000; of uncertain origin; possibly from Spanish: literally, “person of the flatlands” (from llano “even, flat,” also “flatland, plain”); possibly from Italian dialect (Genoese) slang Gianito “Johnny” (the Genoese constituted about one-third of the population of Gibraltar in the late 18th century)

Example Sentences

English is the official language, but people also speak Spanish, often switching between the two in a form of code switching they call Llanito.

From BBC • Jan. 25, 2023

The opposition candidate for governor of Miranda, Carlos Ocariz, was among them: He, too, used to vote at the school in El Llanito but was being forced to vote on Sunday in Barrio La Unión.

From New York Times • Oct. 15, 2017