buckaroo

Where does the word "buckaroo" come from? It comes from Spanish vaquero, passing through Mexican Spanish before entering English (1820s).

Buckaroo’s story begins in Spanish: vaquero meant “cowherd.” A cowherd, from 'vaca', cow. By 1700s, the word had taken hold in Mexican Spanish as vaquero. The skilled horsemen of Mexican ranches who taught American cowboys their trade. It reached English by 1820s as buckaroo. An Anglicized form of 'vaquero'. Today, buckaroo means a cowboy.

1. Stage 1 · Spanish · 1500s vaquero "cowherd", a cowherd, from 'vaca', cow.
2. Stage 2 · Mexican Spanish · 1700s vaquero "cowboy", the skilled horsemen of Mexican ranches who taught American cowboys their trade.
3. Stage 3 · American English · 1820s buckaroo "cowboy", an Anglicized form of 'vaquero'.