Guacho

/ˈɡwɑːtʃoʊ/ noun

Definition

A South American term for an abandoned or orphaned child, or sometimes a mischievous youngster, used in some regional dialects.

Etymology

From Spanish American dialects, possibly influenced by Quechua or other indigenous South American languages; the term may relate to social conditions or behavioral observations in colonial settlements.

Kelly Says

Words like 'guacho' reveal how colonialism created new social categories and problems—the language had to invent words for children left behind by colonial disruption, a linguistic scar of historical trauma.

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