berretín

Spanish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /bereˈtin/ [be.reˈt̪ĩn]
• Rhymes: -in
• Syllabification: be‧rre‧tín

Etymology 1

Derived from Ligurian berettin, beretín (literally “cap”). A Cocoliche semantic loan from French béguin (“crush”, literally “bonnet”).

Noun

berretín f (plural berretines)

1. (Rioplatense, Paraguay) béguin, infatuation

   Synonym: infatuación

2. (Rioplatense, Paraguay) hat, cap

Etymology 2

Derived from baratín (“A bag containing worthless paper said to contain cash”), from Italian barattina (“A swapping of an object with a worthless counterfeit”).

Noun

berretín f (plural berretines)

1. (Lunfardo) a counterfeit; fake

   Synonym: falsificación

2. (Rioplatense, rare) an exaggeration of one's abilities

Etymology 3

Derived from Italian berretino (“pocket”).

Noun

berretín f (plural berretines)

1. (Lunfardo, criminal slang) a hideout
2. (Lunfardo, prison slang) an anus (where one would hide valuables)

Further reading

• “berretín”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 2024 December 10