Cachengue is an Argentine idiom apparently of Buenos Aires origin and which is used within the informal language. It is also estimated that it has a series of different meanings depending on the context in which it is used.
According to some experts in linguistics, the expression is a contraction of the word "cachinquengue", whose etymology comes from the Portuguese spoken in Brazil. Over time, it was adopted by Afro-descendant communities in Argentina and Uruguay, especially those settled around the Río de la Plata.
Initially, "cachengue" was a word used to describe the popular festivals held in the neighborhoods. However, the concept became much more flexible, so it ended up embracing other meanings still in force today.
The extension of the expression has become so important within the Argentine and Uruguayan culture that it has even allowed the use of the verb “changuear”, which is also considered correct within the language.
Meaning
Some meanings associated with this word can be mentioned:
-Party, pachanga, celebration, fun.
-Problem, mess, quilombo. (The latter is also another Argentine idiom).
-According to Buenos Aires usage, it is a type of music that is used specifically for celebrations. It is usually cumbia and / or reggaetón.
-On the other hand, although the word is not completely associated with lunfardo, it is estimated that in this jargon "cachengue" is a kind of synonym for "neighborhood" and "marginal".
Following the same line, it is also worth highlighting some related expressions:
- "Armar un cachengue": make a mess or problem. Likewise, the use of "the party was armed" is also allowed.
- "Giving someone cachengue": having sex.
As mentioned above, the use of this word will depend on the context in which the conversation is presented.
Origin
According to experts, the expression is derived from "cachinquengue" (which, in turn, seems to come from "caxirenge" or "old knife"), a word of Brazilian origin and use that meant "useless thing" or "prostitute". With the passage of time, it was taken over by the Negroid settlers located in the vicinity of the Río de la Plata.
Thanks to this, the connotation of the word changed in the course of time. In fact, it served to designate dances and celebrations located in humble areas, which probably helped to contract the term to derive from the one that is known today.
The “cachengue” began to be interpreted as a way of describing the dances and family celebrations that later became the neighborhood, due to the sense of community that characterizes this type of social organization.
Argentine idioms of Brazilian origin:
There are other terms that also come from Brazil and are part of everyday use:
Quilombo
At first, the expression meant "brothel" in lunfardo, but its meaning changed drastically over time, referring to "trouble", "problem" or "goofing off."
In Brazil in the seventeenth century, it meant "population fortified by runaway blacks", species of settlements for blacks who escaped from merchants and slaveholders.
Quibebe:
In Brazil, it refers to pumpkin, banana or any other fruit, vegetable or vegetable puree. However, in Argentina it is another synonym for “brothel”, so the relation of meanings is inferred –initially- with the previous one.
Cachumba:
It is a River Plate expression that means joy and celebration. Some specialists even indicate that it is a word that bears similarities to “cachengue”, since it is also used to refer to problems or problems.
This meaning, in addition, differs from that from their country of origin, since it refers to inflammation of the carotid or mumps.
Macumba:
It is used in the expression “do a macumba” or “do a macumba”. It has also been used in the rest of Latin America, becoming an idiom of considerable popularity. It means the elaboration of a ritual or a celebration with Afro-Caribbean characteristics.
The richness of the Spanish language lies in the taking of terms from other places, as well as the development of local idioms that have allowed the development of a characteristic speech.
This has also led to a more in-depth study of them, since they have even gained linguistic importance.
The lunfardismo:
At this point, it is well necessary to highlight the relevance of lunfardismo in Argentine and Uruguayan expressions today, especially those that come from Buenos Aires, Rosario and Montevideo.
It is said that thanks to the Spanish, Portuguese and Italian migration that these geographical points presented during the 19th and 20th centuries, it allowed the emergence of "lunfardo", a type of language that took words and expressions from the countries previously mentioned.
Thanks to the fact that a large part of them were adopted by the lower classes, it was defined as the language of thieves.
With the passage of time and thanks to social and political changes, lunfardismo managed to sneak into other social strata thanks to cultural expressions such as tango and poetry.
As if that were not enough, this type of speech also spread to other Latin American countries such as Bolivia, Chile, Paraguay and Peru. Today, lunfardo is a slang widely recognized by locals and foreigners.
Common words in lunfardo:
-Laburo: which comes from "lavoro" and means "work".
-Bacán: refers to a person with power and money. It is a word derived from the Genoese "bacán", whose meaning is "patron".
-Engrupir: it is one of the most fascinating words in lunfardo, since the original word refers to an object wrapped or tied. This allowed that with the passage of time it served to qualify those situations that are the product of deception or fraud.
Usage examples
- "I like to celebrate my birthday in a cachengue".
- "Have you ever been to dance cachengue or in an electronic club?"
- "Yes, lots of times I went to dance cachengue".
- "With friends it can be enjoyed in a cachengue".
- "A cachengue was set up in the house of one of my aunts."
- "There a cachengue was armed that the police even showed up."
- “Why don't we go dance? Nothing that is very commercial, more of a cachengue type ”.
- "Nowadays the skinny ones don't make those good cachengues like the old ones."
- “How about we prepare a Cachengue party? Many people would dare to come ”.
References
- Cachengue. (sf). In Thus We Speak. Retrieved: July 3, 2018. In Así Hablamos de asihablamos.com.
- Cachengue. (sf). In Latin American Dictionary of the Spanish Language. Retrieved: July 3, 2018. In Latin American Dictionary of the Spanish Language of untref.edu.ar.
- Cachengue. (sf). In Your Babel. Retrieved: July 3, 2018. En Tu Babel de tubabel.com.
- Cachenguear. (sf). In The Spanish Speaking Slang Project. Retrieved: July 3, 2018. In The Spanish Speaking Slang Project of jergasdehablahispana.org.
- Etymological dictionary of lunfardo. (sf). In Google Books. Retrieved: July 3, 2018. In Google Books at books.google.com.pe.
- Slang. (sf). In Google Books. Retrieved: July 3, 2018. In Google Books at books.google.com.pe.
- Slang. (sf). On Wikipedia. Retrieved: July 3, 2018. In Wikipedia at es.wikipedia.org.
- Meaning of cachengue. (sf). In Open and Collaborative Dictionary. Retrieved: July 3, 2018. In Open and Collaborative Dictionary of significade.org.