2842  Milonga etymology

Date: Thu, 30 Sep 2004 22:39:49 +0000
From: Sergio Vandekier <sergiovandekier990@HOTMAIL.COM>
Subject: Milonga etymology

Carlos Lima tells us:

"Considering the (correct) etymology of the word, "milonga" was used first
probably for the get together, the party: first through a generalization
(from a meeting to discuss something to any get together), then a
specialization (from any get together, to a party, to a dancing party)."


I do not know what the implied "correct" etymology is.

I believe (the same as Jose Gobelo) that the word "Milonga" derives from the
Western African Language (Kimbunda).

In that language Milonga is "a lot of words".

The gauchos in rural Argentina had as one of their typical entertainments
"La Payada" (pron. pah-jah-dah).

La payada, I had the chance to see many, consists of a gathering of people
in a Ranch House, a yard or any open space where Gauchos compete improvising
in verse with the accompaniment of guitar . The subjects could vary (love,
life, misfortune, God, etc). One participant starts and another answers.

To the black slaves that did not completely understand the Castilian
language, this sounded like "a lot of words" "a milonga". This word took in
the popular language an became used instead of payada.

People started going to "a milonga" rather than to "a payada".

Now a milonga consists of food (barbeque), drinks, socializing, music played
by guitars and some sort of witty competition in verse (Martin Fierro Jose
Hernandez master piece, the most important Argentine book dealing with the
life of the gaucho includes Payadas).

It did not take long that people started to dance to the music played at the
payadas (or milongas). In time people gathered just to dance to that music
and the verse competition became the lyrics of the milonga.

This primitive milonga is also called "Milonga criolla", "Milonga Campera",
'Milonga Suren`a".

It frequently has very amusing lyrics describing different situations such a
funeral for instance, where two assistants had a little fight sending the
corpse flying in the air.:))

Now we have the word "Milonga" being used to describe a gathering where
people dance and also the dance itself.

The word Milonguero was initially used in reference to those gauchos that
went from town to town taking part in payadas competitions.

It is interesting to notice that nowadays, Argentines use the word "Milonga"
meaning "a lot of words" .

They will say during a discussion or argument "No me vengas con esa milonga
ahora" - meaning do not start with all those looong words now.