chico

See also: CHICO, Chico, and chi̱co

English

Etymology 1

Borrowed from Spanish chico.

Noun

chico (plural chicos)

1. (Canada, US, informal) A Latin-American boy; a Latino.

Etymology 2

Borrowed from Spanish chicozapote (through a regional abbreviation), from Nahuatl xicotzapotl. Cognate of chicle.

Noun

chico (plural chicos)

1. The fruit of the sapodilla, Manilkara zapota.

Etymology 3

Perhaps from Spanish choclo, influded by chico.

Noun

chico (plural chicos)

1. (American Southwest, chiefly in the plural) Sweet corn that has been cooked and dried on the cob.

Guyanese Creole English

Chico

Etymology

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Noun

chico

1. chewing gum

References

• Samad, Daizal R., Harripersaud, Ashwannie (2023) A Dictionary of Guyanese Words and Expressions, Blue Rose Publishers, →ISBN, page 36

Portuguese

Etymology

Borrowed from Italian cicca.^[1][2]

Pronunciation

 

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈʃi.ku/

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈʃi.ku/
  • (Southern Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈʃi.ko/

 

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /ˈʃi.ku/

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /ˈʃi.ku/
  • (Northern Portugal) IPA^(key): /ˈt͡ʃi.ku/

• Homophone: Chico
• Hyphenation: chi‧co

Noun

chico m (plural chicos)

1. (Portugal, regional) pig
2. (colloquial) period (menstruation)
3. (Brazil, regional, colloquial) ass (the anus)

Derived terms

• chiqueiro
• estar de chico

 

References

1. “chico”, in Dicionário infopédia da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Porto: Porto Editora, 2003–2024
2. “chico”, in Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Lisbon: Priberam, 2008–2024

Spanish

Etymology 1

Indirectly related to Latin ciccum (“insignificant thing; trifle”); found in several Romance languages as an expressive creation.^[1]

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈt͡ʃiko/ [ˈt͡ʃi.ko]

• Audio (Colombia):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -iko
• Syllabification: chi‧co

Adjective

chico (feminine chica, masculine plural chicos, feminine plural chicas)

1. small

   Synonym: pequeño

   Antonym: grande

Descendants

• → Ladino: chiko, ג׳יקו
• → Papiamentu: chikí, chikitu

Noun

chico m (plural chicos, feminine chica, feminine plural chicas)

1. boy; kid

   Synonyms: cabro, chamaco, chaval, chavo, muchacho, niño

Descendants

• → English: chico
• → Ladino: chiko, ג׳יקו

Derived terms

• achicar
• chicote
• chinchero chico
• chiquear
• chiquero
• chiquillo
• chiquitico
• chiquitín
• chiquitito
• chiquito
• flamenco chico
• letra chica
• patria chica
• perra chica
• pitotoy chico
• salteador chico
• ve chica

 

References

1. Joan Coromines, José A[ntonio] Pascual (1983–1991) Diccionario crítico etimológico castellano e hispánico [Critic Castilian and Hispanic Etymological Dictionary] (in Spanish), Gredos

Further reading

• “chico”, in Diccionario de la lengua española, Vigésima tercera edición, Real Academia Española, 2014

Etymology 2

Borrowed from Yucatec Maya chiʼik.

Noun

chico m (plural chicos)

1. (Mexico) white-nosed coati (Nasua Narica)
2. (Mexico) raccoon (Procyon lotor)

   Synonym: mapache

References

• Schoenhals, Louise C. (1988) A Spanish - English Glossary of Mexican Flora and Fauna‎, Instituto Lingüístico de Verano, page 583

Tagalog

Noun

chico (Baybayin spelling ᜆ᜔ᜐᜒᜃᜓ)

1. Alternative spelling of tsiko