Quinqui – mercheros
A dictionary of Spanish history and culture
Quinqui is the jargon or dialect of a reduced and probably disappearing semi-nomadic group present principally in the northern half of Spain known as quinquilleros (similar to tinkers or travellers), although they, themselves, prefer the term mercheros. Quinqui is said to be related to dialects of the Spanish Roma Caló, and also contains elements of Germania, However, Quinquilleros consider themselves to be separate from gypsies. The term apparently comes from the word quincallería — ironmongery, which was sold by the group until the mid 20th century, when most were forced to settle. An estimated 150,000 (?) mercheros live in Spain today. Like gypsies, many mercheros have become members of different evangelical churches since the 1970s.
Because they are frequently blamed for petty crime, in modern Spanish the word can also mean delinquent or petty thief, and gives rise to expressions like no seas quinqui. This said, many Spaniards are unaware of the existence of a separate ethnic group of persons known as quiquis or mercheros, and simply associate the word with marginality and delinquency.
There are many theories as to the origins of Mercheros:
- Descendants of peasants who lost their land in the 16th century.
- The product of a mix of Roma and non-Roma populations.
- The descendants of Muslims who turned to nomadism to escape persecution after the 1610 expulsion.
- A mixture of the above three.
The most famous Merchero is probably Eleuterio Sánchez, aka El Lute, a petty thief and popular folk hero who since being released in the 1980s has become a writer.
Note: Cine quinqui is sub-genre of Spanish cinema which was particularly popular in the late 1970s – early 1980. It relates the lives of famous thieves and robbers from marginalised backgrounds.
- Los mercheros podrían calificarse como una etnia aparte. Dicen de ellos que eran moriscos que volvieron a entrar en España después de ser expulsados. (El Mundo – 2006)
- Los Mercheros (Wikipedia – Spanish or English)
- Cine quinqui
Keywords:what is quinqui, what does quinqui mean? como de dice quique en inglés, traduccion de quinqui, qinqui language, idioma de los mercheros, qué son los mercheros, merchero culture, origin quinqui, language