The word flamenco
The word flamenco - Arabic roots (1)
From the Arabic 'felag mengu', meaning 'fugitive peasant', or
'peasant in flight'. This term applied to all persecuted people
(including Muslims and Jews) who fled to the mountains to escape
the Inquisition. This has also been interpreted as 'migrant farmer'.
Another variation is "Fellahmengu" which is supposed to mean "Peasant
without Land".
The word flamenco - Arabic roots (2)
From the Arabic 'fellah menkum', meaning 'farmer from your group'.
Although commonly quoted, these theories which
imply that Gypsies were farmers sound too easy and a little too
much like guesswork. While it is true that in the 17th century
Gypsies were encouraged to forget their nomadic ways and become
farmers, why would they? The conditions and repercussions attached
to the laws were too repressive to realistically expect passive
compliance.
There is no good reason to believe that the settled Gypsies who
worked at their various trades would suddenly change their traditional
lifestyle and start farming. Likewise, those who did have 'nomadic
ways' were not likely to settle down just because the government
of the day decreed that they should.
If we really knew the details beyond a shadow of a doubt, historians
would all agree with each other, wouldn't they? The simple fact
is that there is not enough clear evidence to take this farmer
business seriously. The phonetic similarity between the word flamenco
and variations on Arabic farmer-like words seems an unconvincing
basis for a valid theory...in my humble opinion.
The word flamenco means Flemish (1)
"Although flamenco music is now recognized as a marvelous and unique art form, this was not always so, as is demonstrated by the origin of the name itself. Flamenco, in fact, means... Flemish! The story goes that when Felipe II's soldiers returned from their military occupation of the Netherlands, some Andalucians among them were one night heard singing and dancing and playing the guitar, and someone assumed that they must have picked it all up in Flanders, contemptuously dubbing the genre "Flemish music". The fact that no one ever bothered to rectify this absurdity is a measure of the disregard in which it was held"
Quote by Lawrence Bohme
The word flamenco means Flemish
(2)
Another common version is that flamenco was originally a somewhat derogatory term used to describe the courtiers of Charles V, such courtiers having been recruited from Flanders by the Spanish monarch in the early Sixteenth Century and renowned for their self-confidence, style of bright clothing and ostentatious pride
The word flamenco means Flemish (3)
The Spanish Jews who migrated to Flanders were free to practice their religion and openly sing their religious chants. At the time in Spain there was no such freedom. These songs were referred to as 'flamenco' (Flemish) songs by their kin who remained in Spain.
The word flamenco means Flemish (4)
The following is an extract from "Cante jondo, flamenco and the guitar" by Walter Starkie. This article appeared in The magazine 'The Guitar Review no 20". 1956
What is the meaning of Flamenco? Every traveler who visits Andalusia talks glibly about flamenco, but although it expresses an essential element of Andalusia, I have never been able to ascertain its true origin. Some say the word means "Flemish" and was applied originally to the band of Flemish courtiers who accompanied the Emperor Charles V when he came to Spain. The word was then used in a scornful sense of the nomad bands of Gypsies who had come from Germany, and the people called them Germans and Flemings, confusing Flanders with Germany. Others say that Flamenco is a style of singing that was brought into fashion by the Andalusian soldiers of the King who were stationed in Flanders (Tercios Flamencos), whence the word "Flamenco."
In the eighteenth century, these rhythms became popularized in dances such as Sevillanas, seguidillas, and boleros. These folk songs and dances were like the ballads of the Romancero originally aristocratic and were often the work of a court musician. After falling out of favor they were at a later date remembered by the people and preserved by them until our times.
Rodriguez Marin, the greatest authority on Andalusian folklore, says that the word flamenco was applied to the Gypsies, because by their physical appearance (slender legs and prominent buttocks) and light-colored garments, they resembled the flamingo.' In recent years a plausible interpretation has been given by Patrocinio Barriuso, an authority on HispanoMoslem music from Morocco, who believes that the word comes from two arabic words fellah and mangu. Fella means husbandman and mangu means to sing. Flamenco thus would mean the singing of the country people; that is to say, folk-song.
The word flamenco however, is applied by people in conversation, to anything that is bright, vivacious, roguish. A mother will say of her bright-eyed, laughing child "es muy flamenco" (is a little rogue) ; a witty lounger, who sets the tavern in loud roars of laughter is called flamenco. The insolent doxy in the inn, with a carnation in her hair, deserves the epithet flamenca. For this reason, Garcia Matos, one of the chief Spanish musical folklorists today, in an interesting article on Cante Flamenco derives the word from the dialect words flamencia, flaaman (llama) meaning "presumptuous," "vivacious," "showy.'
The word flamenco means Flemish (5)
The following is an extract from "Flamenco and the Flamencos" by Louis Quievreux. This article appeared in The magazine 'The Guitar Review no 20". 1956
Let us reflect on the word flamenco. What does it mean? Where does it come from? The adjective flamenco has various meanings. It stands for something that is gypsy-like, and sometimes for something that is Andalusian—or payo (payo denoting non-gypsy and cale, gypsy). The word is also a synonym for clever, crafty, perky.
"Que flamenco!" one would say of an intelligent child, just as one would say: "! Que list (How clever he is! And how intelligent! And how smart) !" Flamenco also expresses an elegance peculiar to Andalusia: muy Salado, con garbo, and it is originally the translation of the French word flamand that flamenco, flamed, and Flemish are synonyms. But how did flamenco chance to appear in Andalusia?
I myself am flamenco belga or Belgian Fleming, but when I say this in Spain, people are astonished. Actually, my light complexion, my chestnut colored hair, my whole physique are not those of a gypsy. I must then explain to my hosts that I am not a Flamenco from Andalusia, but one from Belgium, and that these two flamencos are quite different from each other.
The Flemish popular music of my country has no relationship to the Flamenco folk-lore, and it is essential from the start, to set aside all etymological explanations on this ground. For many years I have studied the lute music of the Low Countries, and I can assure that I never found anything similar to what belongs to the gypsy folk-lore. The generally accepted opinion, and the one that I stand for is the following:
When Philip the Handsome, Duke of Burgundy, and father of Emperor Charles V, went to Spain to marry Joan the Mad (Juana la Loca) , daughter of Ferdinand of Aragon, and Isabella the Catholic, he had with him a suite of Flemish noblemen from Flanders. These gentlemen were gay companions, luxuriously clad, accustomed to indulging in endless and lavish banquets; men who loved a good time. They were quite disappointed when, on arrival in Spain, they discovered a royal court dressed in black, leading an ascetic life, and who occupied themselves, from morning to night, with pious matters, leaving hardly any time for amusement.
Thoroughly bored, the noblemen from Flanders sought out the company of the gypsies who lived in the poor slums of the lowest classes. They took so well to the habit of dancing and singing with them that the aristocracy soon spoke with indignation of the juergas flamencas—the Flemish orgies—which scandalized the court and the stiff-necked bourgeoisie. They lumped together with the same contempt the Flemings and the gypsies, and to the latter they gave the nick-name of flamencos, in derision and reprobation.
Such could be the origin of the word flamenco. It is accepted by various authors, especially by M. Lozano, a free-thinking journalist who, under the pseudonym of "Demofilo," published a remarkable book in Sevilla, in 1881. I recommend this book, entitled: "Coleccion de Cantes Flamencos recojidos y anotados" to all aficionados of the Andalusian folk-lore.
The word flamenco comes from the word 'flamingo'
Perhaps the least likely theory claims that the word originates from the Dutch? The word Vlaming relates to the concept of fire or flame.
First we have the phonetic (sounds like) connection.
Vlaming == Fleming == Flemish == Flamenco
Then we have the phonetic (sounds like) PLUS the meaning (flame colored) connection.
Vlaming == Flamingo == Flamenco
The
theory stretches the associations like this:
A flamingo is a flamboyant looking bird of fiery color. A Flemish
person wears bright flamboyant looking clothes. And hey! Guess
what. A Spanish dancer wears bright flamboyant clothes also. If
the Vlaming = Fleming = Flemish and/or Vlaming = Flamingo
derivations are good enough to describe Flemish people, why not
extend this to Spanish dancers. All on the basis of the flamboyant
character of their dress. Ah! It's so obvious. I see it all now.
(OK! Stay with me. This is where the bird come in.) The word flamenco
sounds like flamingo, therefore we can stretch the associations
even further and theorize that the word flamenco definitely
evolved from the word flamingo. You get my drift.
Yeah! Right.
Even though the Dutch word Vlaming was theoretically responsible
for two completely different new words, (flamingo and flamenco),
the phonetic similarity of the two is a linguistic curse we cannot
escape from.
Here is what Encarta online has to sayIf you're not confused by all this intellectual running around in circles with flaky logic, then you're better than I am. It sounds like utter nonsense to me. It seems there is no getting away from this damned pink wading bird. It's very pretty, I'll grant you that, but it doesn't have a clue about dancing in compás. I've often wondered what it tastes like.
FLAMENCO
[Late 19th century. Via Spanish, "Flemish person," from Middle Dutch Vlaming (see flamingo).]
FLAMINGO
1) A large wading bird native to tropical brackish waters ...[blah blah blah]
2) [Mid-16th century. Via Portuguese from obsolete Spanish flamengo, of uncertain origin: perhaps from Dutch Vlaming "Flemish person," or (ultimately) from the Latin flamma.] The motivation behind the bird's name is its bright appearance. The Latin derivation would make it the "flame"-colored bird; the Dutch derivation comes from the reputation the people of Flanders had in the Middle Ages for bright flamboyant dress (bright flamboyant dress is also associated with Spanish dancers, (see flamenco).
Mmmm. Maybe we should have tried Funk and Wagnalls.
So there you have it. Take your pick.
Conclusion
It seems to me that the Flemish origin for the word flamenco has the most credibility. Even though the word Flamingo is tied back to the word Flemish, I dare say that most people who say flamingo instead of flamenco have never even seen or heard the word Flemish in their lifetime. Their only point of reference appears to be the pink bird.
The flamingo origin is so stupid I fail to understand why it's even seriously considered by intelligent people. But it is. A quick search on Google will reveal that there are an amazing number of people out there who connect the word flamenco with the pretty pink bird.
Here is an example of how someone tried to define the word flamenco in this way. "The word flamenco is derived from association with flamingos. The movements made during the dance are likened to those made by the elegant bird." Perhaps it's just an easy memory peg for visualization because the two words sound so similar.
Whichever way you choose to define it, the word flamenco came to be used in a derogatory way and implied coarseness or flippancy. The word flamenco was transferred to the Spanish Gypsies in the 18th century and it sort of stuck.
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