Skip to content
Ojalá
Words
Disputed: Specialists disagree — read the note.Expressions · Everyday

marrano

pig; a dirty person; historically, a slur against converted Jewscerdo; persona sucia; históricamente, insulto contra los judíos conversos

Comes from Arabic

مُحَرَّم

muḥarram

“forbidden, unlawful”«prohibido, ilícito»

Arabic today says

خِنْزِير

khinzīr

Root

ح ر م

ḥ-r-m

The article

It came in without the article.

The story

The RAE proposes, with a "perhaps", Andalusi muḥarram, "forbidden", for the pig that is off-limits to Muslims and Jews. Other origins have been suggested, such as Aramaic maranatha, and the question is not settled.La RAE propone, con un «quizá», el andalusí muḥarram, «lo prohibido», por el cerdo vedado a musulmanes y judíos. Se han propuesto otros orígenes, como el arameo maranatha, y la cuestión no está cerrada.

In a sentence

En la granja crían marranos.

They raise pigs on the farm.

يُرَبُّونَ الخَنَازِيرَ فِي المَزْرَعَة.

More from “Expressions”