Quinqui jargon

{{Short description|Spanish dialect}} {{redirect|Quinqui|the film genre|Quinqui (film genre)}} {{refimprove|date=August 2025}} {{infobox language |name=Quinqui |states=Spain |region=Edges of towns |speakers=? |familycolor=mixed |family=[[Cant (language)|Cant]] |iso3=quq |glotto=quin1236 |glottorefname=Quinqui }}

'''Quinqui [[jargon]]''' is associated with ''quincalleros'' (an [[Itinerant groups in Europe|itinerant group]]). They are a semi-nomadic people who live mainly in the northern half of [[Spain]]. They prefer to be called ''mercheros''. They have declined in number from earlier reports and are possibly vanishing as a distinct ethnic group.

The language is based on ''[[Germanía]]'', an old [[Spanish language|Spanish]] criminal [[argot]]. It has elements of [[Caló language|''Caló'']], a dialect of the Spanish [[Romani people|Roma]], and [[Erromintxela language|Erromintxela]], a [[mixed language|mixed]] [[Basque language|Basque]]–[[Kalderash Romani language|Kalderash Romani]] language.<ref>{{cite book |first=J. |last=García-Egocheaga |date=2003 |title=Minorías Malditas |chapter=III: Quincalleros, Caldereros Y Mercheros: Los Quinquis |language=es}}</ref>

The term comes from the word ''quincallería'' (ironmongery), from [[ironmonger]]s who first used this [[Cant (language)|cant]] as part of their trade. Because the men were frequently blamed for petty crime, the word is associated in modern Spanish with delinquents, [[petty thief|petty thieves]], or hoodlums. The mercheros identify as a distinct group separate from the Roma ''[[gitanos]]''.

Scholars have many theories about the social origins of ''mercheros'', summarized as the following: *Descendants of mechanical workers who arrived in Spain from central Europe in the 16th century; *Descendants of peasants who lost their land in the 16th century; *Descendants of intermarriage between the Roma and non-Roma populations; *[[Morisco|Descendants of Muslims]] who became nomads after the expulsion in the 15th century to escape persecution; and/or *A mixture of the above. ==Notable mercheros== *[[Eleuterio Sánchez]], a.k.a. ''[[El Lute]]'' (born 1942). A petty thief in his early life, he was convicted of armed robbery and murder. After escaping from prison, he was listed among Spain's "Most Wanted" criminals by the Spanish police. Later he earned a law degree and wrote five books. He was pardoned at age 39.

==See also== *[[Gitanos]] *[[Erromintxela language]] *[[Yenish people]] *[[Sarakatsani]] *[[Gacería]] *[[Irish Travellers]] *[[Vaqueiros de alzada]] *[[Camminanti]]

==References== {{Reflist}}

[[Category:Languages of Spain]] [[Category:Spanish dialects of Spain]] [[Category:Cant languages]] [[Category:Occupational cryptolects]]