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Prieto

English translation: "blackish" or "dark".

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
Spanish term or phrase:Prieto
English translation:"blackish" or "dark".

20:14 Jan 15, 2004
Spanish to English translations [Non-PRO]
Linguistics / Linguistics
Spanish term or phrase: Prieto
This word is obviously related to modern Portuguese "preto" (with a circumflex over the 'e') meaning "black" but I was wondering what does it exactly mean in Spanish and is it ever used as a substitute for "black"? Portuguese once had negro for "black " and a man from Angola once told me that Negro or Nengro was still used in Portuguese for an African Black person.

Any hel with a translation is greatly appreciated. I will be voting on the basis of which answer is the most helpful. Thanks again!

Sincerely,
Brian Costello
Seattle, Wa.
Brian Costello
a few related meanings
Explanation:
"Prieto" means "blackish" or "dark".
In Latin America it can mean "swarthy".
When used in reference to women, it means "brunette".
In another sense, it can mean "mean" (i.e. a mean, miserly person).
In an even more remote sense, it can mean "tight" or "compressed".
"Un siglo prieto de historia" means "A century rich in history".
All of the meanings given above are adjectives.

Good luck!

-Dan
Selected response from:

Daniel Mencher
United States
Local time: 01:30
Grading comment
Dear Dan,
Thanks for your answer. The other people gave answers that were satisfactory but you gave more the range of answers I was looking for.

Sincerely,
Brian Costello
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +16dark, swarthy
Oso (X)
5 +2a few related meanings
Daniel Mencher
5 +1Not gor grading, just to add information
rhandler
5definitions
Susana Galilea
3 +2Comment
Amilcar


  

Answers


3 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +16
dark, swarthy


Explanation:
Hola Brian,
En México usamos la palabra "prieto" como sinónimo de "piel morena".
Buena suerte y saludos del Oso ¶:^)

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Note added at 2004-01-15 20:21:28 (GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Source: The Collins Concise Spanish Dictionary © 2002 HarperCollins Publishers:
swarthy adjective (compar swarthier; superl swarthiest) moreno

prieto, ta a. 1. dark, swarthy
Simon & Schuster\'s Bilingual Dictionary©


--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2004-01-15 20:27:40 (GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Hace tiempo en México fue muy famosa una cantante de música ranchera y tradicional mexicana llamada Enriqueta (Queta) Jiménez, llamada de cariño y como nombre artístico \"La Prieta Linda\", por su piel morena.

Oso (X)
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in SpanishSpanish
PRO pts in category: 42

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Susana Galilea: otra cosa que aprendo :)
1 min
  -> Hola Susi, muchas gracias. En México diríamos más el "prietito" o "prietita" ¶:^)
agree  Fernando Romero R: Thtat´s right. In the Dominican Rep the equivalent for "prieto" is dark or swarthy
43 mins
  -> Hola Fher, muchas gracias y saludos cordiales ¶:^)
agree  Clara Fuentes: Así es, saludos Osito :-)
50 mins
  -> Muchas gracias, Clarita. Saludos con cariño a Mexiquito ¶:^)
agree  Patricia Fierro, M. Sc.
52 mins
  -> Muchas gracias, Patricia ¶:^)
agree  Rantes
53 mins
  -> Mil gracias y saludos, Rantes ¶:^)
agree  Teresita Garcia Ruy Sanchez
1 hr
  -> Hola Teresita, muy agradecido ¶:^)
agree  Henry Hinds: Aval fronterizo.
1 hr
  -> Agradecimiento azteca, muchas gracias mi Cumpa ¶:^)
agree  Patricia Baldwin: Siempre es grato aprender algo nuevo...con el mejor maestro!!!Bravo ColOso!!
2 hrs
  -> Qué amable **Patri**, muy agradecido ¶:^)
agree  Will Matter
2 hrs
  -> Muchas gracias y saludos, willmatter ¶:^)
agree  Juan Jacob: Así es, claro. Lo contrario, a aquella persona de piel blanca, se le dice güero(a) que, por extensión, es un rubio(a). Sin embargo, "prieto" es ligeramente peyorativo. Se dice más bien moreno.
3 hrs
  -> Hola Juan, d'accordo! Aunque con el diminutivo "prietito, prietita" suena más cariñoso que nada, ¿no crees? Gracias, paisano ¶:^)
agree  T Crotogino: This is common parlance for "dark-skinned" in the Dom. Rep.
4 hrs
  -> Muchas gracias por el dato y por su agree, T. ¶:^)
agree  Lesley Clarke
4 hrs
  -> Hola Lesley, muchas gracias ¶:^)
agree  x-Translator (X)
6 hrs
  -> Muchas gracias, Stella ¶:^)
agree  Refugio: "Nunca he visto gato prieto con sombrero y pantalon"
7 hrs
  -> ¡Qué bonito! =^._.^= Muchas gracias, Ruth ¶:^)
agree  Dominique de Izaguirre: También se dice *prieto* en Cuba. En España, no.
14 hrs
  -> Hola Dominique, muchas gracias por el dato y por tu agrí ¶:^)
agree  Nado2002
1 day 4 hrs
  -> Muchas gracias, Nado ¶:^)
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4 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5
definitions


Explanation:
Hi Brian, I never heard the word to mean "black", but apparently in Mexico it can mean "dark". Normally it means "tight" or "firm-bodied".


Source: The Collins Concise Spanish Dictionary © 2002 HarperCollins Publishers:

prieto adjetivo1 (= apretado)
[nudo] tight
de carnes prietas firm-bodied
2 (esp México) dark


Susana Galilea
United States
Local time: 00:30
Native speaker of: Native in SpanishSpanish
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

11 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +2
a few related meanings


Explanation:
"Prieto" means "blackish" or "dark".
In Latin America it can mean "swarthy".
When used in reference to women, it means "brunette".
In another sense, it can mean "mean" (i.e. a mean, miserly person).
In an even more remote sense, it can mean "tight" or "compressed".
"Un siglo prieto de historia" means "A century rich in history".
All of the meanings given above are adjectives.

Good luck!

-Dan


    ISBN: 0139536477
Daniel Mencher
United States
Local time: 01:30
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
Grading comment
Dear Dan,
Thanks for your answer. The other people gave answers that were satisfactory but you gave more the range of answers I was looking for.

Sincerely,
Brian Costello

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  luzba
35 mins
  -> thanks
agree  Will Matter: think the primary meaning is 'swarthy' and the others are derived/extended meanings.
2 hrs
  -> could be
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18 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +1
Not gor grading, just to add information


Explanation:
Here's how the DRAE (first reference)defines "prieto":

prieto, ta.
(De apretar).
1. adj. Ajustado, ceñido, estrecho, duro, denso.
2. adj. Dicho de un color: Muy oscuro y que casi no se distingue del negro.
3. adj. Mísero, escaso, codicioso.
4. adj. Cuba. Dicho de una persona: De raza negra. U. t. c. s.
5. adj. Méx. Dicho de una persona: De piel morena.
□ V.
carpintero de prieto
coco prieto
maravedí prieto
uva hebén prieta
vómito prieto




    Reference: http://www.rae.es
rhandler
Local time: 02:30
Native speaker of: Portuguese

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Sp-EnTranslator: pitch, pitch, pitch black ...That's what it is (could be a person -not nice to say, though, or things)
20 hrs
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1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +2
Comment


Explanation:
In my experience with New World Spanish speakers of all origins, and with the space of Portuguese, prieto and preto are generally avoided in general parlance to designate Blacks. Negro still seems the preferred form for European and African Portuguese, and I believe it still is considered politically correct; elsewhere there is a strong tendency for "euphemisms", such as "crioulo" in Brazil and "moreno" among Spanish speakers. I do not know enough about scholarly usage to have an opinion.

Just a small contribution to a complex issue.


--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2004-01-15 23:14:06 (GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

By the way, we still have negro for \"black\" in the Portuguese speaking space, \'tis no archaism.

In my experience with Spanish speakers, prieto is not common in conversation, and even more rarely does it mean anything that is not at least slightly nasty, or \"jiving\".

When said of people, I think the meanings \"dark\", \"swarthy\" are indeed the closest. This is denotation. The connotation is primarely: do not use if you are a nice person, perhaps even if you know exactly what you are doing.

When said of things, for instance, a dress, it really means black, the DRAE not withstanding. It is heard more often among Caribean speakers in this sense, but it is felt by them to be informal, \"not proper Spanish\", as one informant put it.

One man\'s experience.


--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2004-01-15 23:16:16 (GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

I mean \"primarily\"

Amilcar
Native speaker of: Native in PortuguesePortuguese

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Will Matter: think "dark" or "swarthy" is a better translation in this case.
1 hr
  -> Thanks
agree  Sp-EnTranslator: pitch, pitch, pitch, pitchest black of all...That's what it is (could be a person -not nice to say, though, or things)
19 hrs
  -> Thanks
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