Meaning, Origin, and Uses of Gringo

Meaning, Origin, and Uses of 'Gringo' So someone calls you a gringo or gringa. Should you feel insulted? It depends. Nearly always referring to foreigners in a Spanish-speaking country, gringo is one of those words whose precise meaning, and often its emotional quality, can vary with geography and context. Yes, it can be and often is an insult. But it can also be a term of affection or neutral. And the word has been used long enough outside of Spanish-speaking areas that it is listed in English dictionaries, spelled and pronounced essentially the same in both languages. Origin of Gringo The etymology or origin of the Spanish word is uncertain, although it is likely to have come from griego, the word for Greek. In Spanish, as in English, it has long been common to refer to an unintelligible language as Greek. (Think Its Greek to me or ​Habla en griego.) So over time, griegos apparent variant, gringo, came to refer to a foreign language and to foreigners in general. The first known written English use of the word was in 1849 by an explorer. One bit of folk etymology about gringo is that it originated in Mexico during the Mexican-American war because Americans would sing the song Green Grow the Lilies. As the word originated in Spain long before there was a Spanish-speaking Mexico, there is no truth to this urban legend. In fact, at one time, the word in Spain was often used to refer specifically to the Irish. And according to a 1787 dictionary, it often referred to someone who spoke Spanish poorly. Related Words In both English and Spanish, gringa is used to refer to a female (or, in Spanish, as a feminine adjective). In Spanish, the term Gringolandia is sometimes used to refer to the United States. Gringolandia can also refer to the tourist zones of some Spanish-speaking countries, especially those areas where many Americans congregate. Another related word is engringarse, to act like a gringo. Although the word appears in dictionaries, it doesnt appear to have much actual use. How the Meaning of Gringo Varies In English, the term gringo is often used to refer to an American or British person visiting Spain or Latin America. In Spanish-speaking countries, its use is more complex with its meaning, at least its emotional meaning, depending to a great extent on its context. Probably more often than not, gringo is a term of contempt used to refer to foreigners, especially Americans and sometimes the British. However, it can also be used with foreign friends as a term of affection. One translation sometimes given for the term is Yankee, a term that sometimes is neutral but also can be used contemptuously (as in Yankee, go home!). The dictionary of the Real Academia Espaà ±ola offers these definitions, which can vary according to the geography of where the word is used: Foreigner, especially one who speaks English, and in general one who speaks a language that isnt Spanish.As an adjective, to refer to a foreign language.A resident of the United States (definition used in Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Cuba, Ecuador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, and Venezuela).Native of England (definition used in Uruguay).Native of Russia (definition used in Uruguay).A person with white skin and blond hair (definition used in Bolivia, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Peru).An unintelligible language.

Research Paper Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Research Paper - Assignment Example The government gave a report, and estimated the number of the gas leakage victims was five hundred thousand people (Ferrara, 2012). Three thousand eight hundred of these people had partial injuries, while three thousand nine hundred were permanently injured. There are numerous reasons advanced by scholars as to the cause of the Bhopal disaster. However, most agree that the immediate cause of the disaster was poor management and negligence by the managerial team of Union Carbide India Limited. This paper analyzes the causes of the Bhopal Disaster, in relation to poor managerial and communication skills (Ferrara, 2012). With concrete examples, and well supported facts, this paper looks at how the disaster occurred, and the failure of the management to initiate preventive measures that will protect its workers, from risks emanating from the plant (Rosencranz, 1988). This paper takes a stand that poor management and communication policies at Union Carbide India resulted to the occurrence of the disaster. Failure in communication, before, during and after the Bhopal disaster led to the death of thousands people. In 1984, the Indians comprised of the entire employees at the company. It is the Indians who controlled the machines, and they were involved at virtually all the operations of the company (Dhara et al, 2002). This is because the company implemented its agreement with the Indian government of promoting self-sustenance. On this note, language was a barrier in effectively conducting the affairs of the company. This people lived with their families near the company, and they were the first victims of the gas leakage. Despite this language barrier, the company printed the operating manuals for their equipment’s in English. This was an aspect of mismanagement and negligence; this is because the local community was not proficient in English, and had no idea on know how to react to the warnings contained in the manuals,

Sheikh Zayed AlNahyan biography Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Sheikh Zayed AlNahyan biography - Essay Example However, presently, his rule has come under scrutiny. There is great debt being accrued and little solutions to resolve it as yet. This is how the Sheik’s decadence and spending, which contributed to so many improvements, also, had some negative side effects, as well, particularly debt. In order to understand the man better it is best to start at the beginning. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum was born on July 15th 1949 in Dubai, into a family with a long line of rulers. Al Maktoum family has ruled Dubai since 1833. They are descended from the Al Bu Falasah, a part of the Bani Yas, which was a highly respected and dominant tribal â€Å"federation† made of those who would become the present UAE, founded in the 1970s. The Present Sheikh is not the first member of his family to take a great interest in attempting to stabilize, improve, and change the conditions of Dubai, as a whole, throughout history, many rulers before him have tried. Since the family took power in the 19th century they have all worked to improve Dubai situation and reputations, transforming it into a popular tourist locale and potential business location (Government of Dubai). The young Sheikh Zayed Al Nahyan was privately tutored as a child, but would later, in 1966, attend Bell School of Languages at Cambridge University. In 1979 he married the first of his w ives, and therefore senior wife, Sheikha Hind bint Maktoum bin Juma Al Maktoum, and his youngest and newest wife Princess Haya bint Al-Hussein is the daughter of the Hussein of Jordan. In his lifetime he has welcomed 16 children into the world (The Biography Channel 1). It was in 1995, at the age of 46, he was named Crowned Prince of Dubai and in his new position he eagerly began fulfilling his vision of Dubai becoming a lush and popular place, no longer just a tiny piece of desert. After he

Victimization At School Essay Example for Free

Victimization At School Essay One type of victimization that can happen at school is school shootings. We have seen too many times where students and teachers have been victimized by other students who bring guns to school and take innocent lives, due to many personal reasons. There is a huge need for stricter gun control laws to make certain that students are safer in their educational institutions. Too many deaths occur where school students are victimized when individuals decide they want to bring weapons to school and use them against innocent victims. Hugh LaFollette explains to us that (LaFollette, 2000) â€Å"The literature of gun advocates supports my contention that guns are inherently dangerous. They advocate the private ownership of guns to prevent crime and to arm the militia. Guns can serve these purposes only because they are effective means of inflicting and threatening harm. † It is fair to say that guns still cause innocent victims to lose their lives and shouldn’t be available for easy access to dangerous individuals. The recent massacre at Virginia Tech and other needless shootings proved that guns can end up in the wrong hands and cause innocent victims to lose their lives. Maggie Rodriguez from The Early Show on CBS tells us that (Rodriguez, 2007) â€Å"Its been eight years since Columbine, Helmke said via satellite from Washington, D. C. Weve done nothing as a country. Its been six months since the Amish school shootings. Weve done nothing as a country. We need to be asking out elected officials what they can do to prevent people from getting these kinds of high-powered weapons. Weapons have been easily accessible and have ultimately reached the hands of the wrong people who have taken the life of many innocent people in our schools. We have seen too many times how guns have been the weapons utilized by deranged individuals, used to cause too many senseless injuries and fatalities, at schools. We also have the argument from those in the pro-gun camp who will easily say that if people are permitted to carry concealed weapons to protect themselves, they can prevent these kinds of fatalities from taking place in our school settings. By allowing everyone to carry guns, we would be placing too many other’s lives in danger. Although, there would be instances such as the killings that took place at Virginia Tech, where guns could have possibly stopped the shooter, there would be more instances where lives would be taken because of this easy access to guns. By keeping guns away from the general public, we would make it more complicated for people like the gunman at Virginia Tech to get their hands on guns to kill innocent victims. Many gun rights groups, that are led by the National Rifle Association will argue that proposals that ask for stricter gun laws breach on the constitutional rights of every law-abiding citizen. They assume that these bans on the sale of specific types of weapons haven’t proved effective in decreasing crime, and that proposals for stricter background checks at all gun shows are formed to eliminate gun shows, themselves. Many gun manufacturers have easily volunteered the support for safety locks, but the NRA has criticized these safety locks for placing a huge burden on gun manufacturers, without benefiting to the public. Georgeann Rooney who is a specialist at a Secret Service National Threat Assessment Center explained a 2002 federal study where 37 school shootings and attacks were looked at from 1974 to 2000. Rooney explains that (Rooney, 2007) â€Å"While the study said there is no accurate profile of students who engage in targeted violence at schools, it noted that many said they felt bullied, persecuted or injured by others before the attacks oIn the Santana High incident, Charles Andy Williams complained about being bullied before he went on a shooting rampage at the Santee campus, leaving two dead and 13 wounded. † The same study showed that â€Å"Most attackers had access to and had used weapons before the attack and prior to most incidents, other people knew about the attackers plans. We learn that â€Å"Most attackers had difficulty coping with significant losses or personal failures and many had considered or attempted suicide. † We see very often that most attackers who take innocent lives on school property have serious mental disturbances. We learn from The National Center of Vital Statistics that (NCVS, 1999) â€Å"The risk of death at school based on 93 incidents that occurred in the nations 119,000 schools over a ten-year period, the annual probability of a school experiencing a student-perpetrated homicide is about 1 in 11,520. † The biggest concern is that there are many people who should be allowed to collect and carry guns, because they pose no threat to society but far too many times student, teachers and other school staff members suffer at the hands of disturbed individuals. Not everyone should be considered dangerous individuals because they carry guns, but by allowing guns to remain in their hands, we are making it too easy for tragic shootings to take place at our schools, when these when these weapons end up in the wrong hands. We learn from News Batch that (News Batch, 2005) â€Å"Gun control was not a major issue in the 2004 Presidential campaign. The percentage of Americans who consider gun control as an important issue has declined from 3% to 1%. Fewer Americans are supportive of gun control in general and handgun control in particular. † By not making gun control issues an important issue, we are ignoring a dangerous situation, where young students suffer to needless killings at school. Even with background checks, it is far too risky to allow individuals to have easy access to guns. The shooter at Virginia Tech was able to purchase guns because he had a background check that was clean because all shooters have criminal records. Gun control activists still believe that it is far to easy for criminals to obtain guns and that an alarming proportion of the population remains armed. Their concern has been fueled by an unprecedented recent rash of school shootings and fatalities. Many experts are blaming this phenomena on violent video games and poor parenting but in each case the youths involved had easy access to the weapons that they used. Gun control advocates support measures which would require locks on all guns, which would apply the provisions of the Brady bill to gun shows. These gun control advocate groups also advocate a federal law allowing only one handgun purchase per month and raising the age for gun ownership from 18 to 21. By increasing the age limit for buying guns to 21, we may decrease the number of shootings that take place but we aren’t eliminating the possibilities for dangerous individuals to get their hands on guns that kill. John W. Mashek (Mashek, 2007) tells us that â€Å"The tragedy at Virginia Tech should open our minds to a problem our nation refuses to confront. The easy access to guns and lethal weapons is a national disgrace. In Virginia alone, gun owners are limited to one purchase a month. I can hear the response from the NRA already: People kill people. Yes, but they do it with guns and too frequently with those easily accessible weapons. † He goes on to say that â€Å"The condolences from the NRA are of little comfort to the mourners of those slaughtered in Blacksburg. The NRA, to put it bluntly, has too many willing friends in Congress from both political parties. Campaign cash flows to them in hefty amounts. Members of both parties should be ashamed. † Without easy access to guns, criminals are less likely to kill. There are many individuals who will argue that â€Å"People kill, not guns. † Yes, this may be true, but without guns, they have less opportunity to kill. When killing is on the mind of a deranged individual, they usually look for guns to commit murders and by not making guns easy to buy, we are decreasing the threat that is upon society. Michael Daily, a daily news columnists asks, (Daily, 2007) â€Å"Still love those guns, Virginia? It is clear that many people are fed up with guns being so available to the general public. There must be serious restrictions placed on buying weapons. These restrictions should make it impossible for the entire general public to purchase guns. It is a fact that guns do kill and we must remove this threat that is causing so many needless shootings at our schools across the United States. Guns can be accessed much too easily and it is up to all Americans to stand up and say that we are tired of worrying about ourselves and our loved ones being taken out by individuals who have problems dealing with society. It is unfair for innocent victims to lose their lives because someone is having a bad day and can easily walk to the gun store and purchase a gun, in a rather small period of time. We must vote for strict gun control laws and make it far less possible for guns to reach the hands of the wrong people who kill and victimize students too often! Reference Page LaFollette, Hugh. (2000). â€Å"Gun Control†. Ethics. Vol. 1. P. 263-81. News Batch. (2005). â€Å"Gun Control Policy Issues†. www. newsbatch. com/guncontrol. htm. Mashek, John W. (2007). â€Å"Guns Kill People. Period. †. A Capital View. US News and World Report. Rodriguez, Maggie. (2007). â€Å"Shootings at VA Tech Spark Gun Debate†. The Early Show. CBS. Rooney, Georgeann. (2007). Secret Service National Threat Assessment Center. The National Center for Vital Statistics. (1999). â€Å"Serious Violent Crimes in Schools†. www. youthviolence. ed.

The Philosophies of John Stuart Mill as a Guide for the World Essay

The Philosophies of John Stuart Mill as a Guide for the World Dr. Pest's comments: This student's term paper is a model of how to apply the philosophical concepts of a previous century to our present society. She showed how the ideas of John Stuart Mill can be used by intelligent people to construct a society with more opportunities for women and to insure respect for intellectual freedom. As the world moves into the twenty-first century, it faces many problems. War, disease, over-population, and starvation are examples of problems that have yet to be solved. However, progress has been made in many areas that aid in the reduction of human misery. Diseases, through research and scientific study, are better understood—many that formerly were considered deadly are now treatable. Advances in agricultural technology have enabled crops to be grown in great abundance, and thus feed many more people than was possible previously. Unfortunately, there are several problems that seem to defy any of the world's best efforts to remedy them. The subjection of women in much of the world leads to much human misery, as well as being a waste of half of the population where it takes place. The attitude that a woman should be under the rule of a man is one that has only recently changed in the West (and not universally there); in many parts of the world women are no better off than they were hundreds of years ago in this respect. Even in the United States there are many who advocate women's restriction to a submissive role in the home; many of these people are part of the religious right, a politically vigorous group. It is difficult to hope that less advanced nations will take the initiative in freeing women from political and social rest... ... Unity (Boulder: Lynne Rienner Publishers, 1998), 40. 11 Ibid., 41-42, 47-48. 12 Ibid., 42-47 13 Mi11 and Mill, Essays on Sex Equality, 190-191. 14 Ibid., 183. 15 Bodman and Tohidi, Women in Muslim Societies, 93. 16 Mi11 and Mill, Essays On Sex Equality, 77. 17 John Stuart Mill, Three Essays on Religion (Amherst: Prometheus Books, 1998), 242. 18 Mahnaz Afkhami,ed., Faith and Freedom: Women 's Human Rights in the Muslim World (Syracuse: Syracuse University Press, 1995), 140. 19 Ibid, 177-179. 20 Ibid., 144. 21 New Era Encyclopedia, 1992 ed., s.v. "Sharia," by Larry B. Miller. 22 Ibid. 23 Mills, Three Essays on Religion, 139. 24 Delos B. McKown, The Mythmaker’s Magic: Behind the illusion of "Creation Science" (Buffalo: Prometheus Books, 1993), 29. 25 Mi11, Three Essays on Religion, 242-43. 26 McKown, The Mythmaker 's Magic, 55. 27 Ibid., 64.

Education and Unforgettable Experience

Unforgettable Experience I still remember my first day of school in USA. It’s an unforgettable experience that I will always remember. In 2001 my family and I moved to USA, Arizona from India for better life and education. I was placed at 6th grade elementary school. First day of school for any student can be hard, but even hard for a student who doesn’t speak a word of English. Now, what made my first day of school so unforgettable was how I had to find my class, how I had to introduce myself to my new classmates, and how I tried to understand what the teacher was trying to teach.Reading a map and navigating the class location is quite hard for a 6th grader. Specially, for a student that’s in a new country and a new school like myself. I got off the bus and I have my school map on my hand trying to find where my class is. I am running one way to another holding my heavy backpack. Accidently, I ran into a girl. We both fell hard to the ground. I quickly got up an d helped her pick her stuff up and apologized. Funny to say I knew how to say sorry from watching movies, I said sorry to her but I didn’t understand a word she was saying to me and she didn’t seem quite happy.I understood from her facial expressions that she was cursing me and the students around were laughing out loud. Then, a nice lady teacher name Mrs. Smith came and I showed her my class number. Somehow, she understood that I needed help. So she helped me to my class after that embarrassing scene. Now everyone knows first day of school is about the teacher introducing themselves, going over the class rules and every student introducing their self to the class. My teacher name Mrs.McDonalds started with talking about herself and also, about what we were going to do that school year. After her it was the students turn, one by one each student stood up and said their name. They told the class about their interests and favorite things to do. I am nervously looking aro und trying to figure out what is going on. Then all of the sudden everyone starts staring at me and the teacher is asking me something. I started getting nervous and shy. I only understood the word name the teacher said, so I quickly told her my name.Then I stood quietly while the whole class started to laugh because of the awkward situation. After an embarrassing introduction of me to the class the teacher started to talk about our first assignment. We had to write a narrative essay with at least 500 words. As she explaining and teaching us about how to put together a narrative essay. I am sitting there asking to myself what in the world is going on. What do I do? It was even hard for students with English being their first language. Sitting in class not knowing a word of English was not fun.My classmates didn’t want to work with me because I couldn’t communicate with them. I just couldn’t wait for school to end for the day. It is an unforgettable experience I will always remember and think about. A quote that comes to mind says â€Å"you always learn the hardest way† unknown. What I went through that day made things easier for me the next day of school because I was more aware of things. I was more careful on my way to class, tried to learn how to introduce myself and ask the teacher for help with assignments.

Is financial incentive an effective way to increase the organ donation rate - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 3 Words: 916 Downloads: 3 Date added: 2019/08/08 Category Medicine Essay Level High school Tags: Organ Donation Essay Did you like this example? Good health is indispensable and an important asset to everyone. In present-day society, it is nothing but the truth that the possibility of fostering organ donation by financial incentive is receiving increasing consideration. Therefore, whether the financial incentive is an effective way to increase the organ donation rate has long remained disputable discussion in the society. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Is financial incentive an effective way to increase the organ donation rate" essay for you Create order On the one hand, People who are in favor of the suggestion conceive that financial incentive can attract citizens to donate organs and increase the supply of organs. On the other hand, people who object to the notion take the stance that attracting people to donate organs by financial incentive is unethical. Personally, I agree that financial incentive is not an effective way to increase the organ donation way. In this essay, I will examine both sides of the argument and establish my own stance. Tradition is one of the major components In this day and age, a lot of people are devoted to discussing the topic of financial incentive for organ donation. People who objected to the statement expect that financial incentive for organ donation may cause potential traditional dilemmas. After thorough examination, it can be reasonably concluded the policy would do more harm than good. According to a recent survey that conducted by the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS), it has been discovered that only 31 percent of individuals who are older than 55 years old are in favor of some form of financial incentive. Also, this attitude increase with age. Lets use China as an example. Chinese have a traditional concept that our body should be interred intact and this attitude still remains strong among the elderly. The former vice health minister Huang Jiefu said that China is a Confucian society. Its strongly hierarchical and the familys concerns usually trump those of the individual. Therefore, the Chinese, especially older Ch inese, put emphasis on this traditional culture. Although financial incentive can provide benefits to them, it is more important for them to follow these cultures. Also, the Chinese believe that our body is received from our parents and we must not presume to injure our body. Therefore, this traditional concept has become an inability of family that affect the aspiration of donating organ. These Chinese traditional values are deeply ingrained in our society so it is hard to attract people to donate organ by financial incentive. After serious discussion, it can draw that financial incentive for organ donation is ineffective to increase the organ donation rate. Financial incentive is unethical Besides, there has been much controversy about whether financial incentive for organ donation is ethical or not. People who disagree with such a policy conceive that financial incentive is unethical and violating human rights. Lets quote a specific example. In 1984, a regulation to allow the removal of organs from prisoners is approved by the Chinese government. Until 2006, the former vice health minister Huang Jiefu admitted that more than 95 percent of the supply of organs are from prisoners. The number of executions has estimated that there are about 6000 to 8000 prisoners were executed yearly. However, it cannot determine that how many of them agree to donate their organs by themselves but not compel by the law or financial benefits. Hence, components of financial incentive for organ donation are convinced that the respect of life will reduce and sanctity of human body will decrease. Some may agree to donate organ because of the attraction of financial incentive but the meaning o f organ donation will be lost. If family members can determine whether getting the financial incentive for organ donation for the dead, the human rights of the deceased will be ignored. Also, the reliance on prisoners for organs may ignore the standard safeguards of them. Hence, the financial incentive for organ donation is unethical and it is ineffective to raise the organ donation rate. Whether financial incentive can attract people to donate organ Financial incentive for organ donation has become a talk of town that whether it can increase the organ donation rate effectively. Supporters are of the opinion that people will be attracted by the financial incentive so the supply of organ will increase. In accordance with a recent questionnaire that conducted by the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) , it has been shown that more than 50 percent of individuals agree with the policy of financial incentive for organ donation. Surprisingly, 68 percent of those under 35 years old are strongly in favor of such policy. It can discover that some traditional concepts are gradually changing. Young people are more willing to accept financial incentive as they put more attention to the advantages that they can get through financial incentive for organ donation. However, organ donation is not a self-determination. Young people still need to consider the opinion of their family members. Young people should discuss with family members befor e making the decision. If there are family members who are elderly that has strong traditional concepts, the attraction of financial incentive will decrease. Therefore, the organ donation rate will hard to increase and financial incentive will become ineffective. Conclusion The growing influence of low organ donation rate has alarmed the public. It calls urgently requires the concerns of everyone to think of an effective solution to put a halt to this issue. It is our hope to live in affluence but also living healthily. Hence, we should strike a balance between two sides of opinion and work hand in hand to find out the most effective solution to increase the organ donation rate.