jerga

Spanish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈxeɾɡa/ [ˈxeɾ.ɣ̞a]
• Rhymes: -eɾɡa
• Syllabification: jer‧ga

Etymology 1

Borrowed from Old Occitan gergon, from Old French jargon (“the chattering of birds”). Ultimately of echoic origin. Compare Latin garriō (“to chatter”); English gargle, garrulous; Spanish garganta, gárgara, gargajo, jerigonza.

Noun

jerga f (plural jergas)

1. jargon; slang

   palabra de jerga ― jargon word

Etymology 2

Probably from Latin sērica. Compare Portuguese xerga, French serge, Romanian sarică. Possibly a doublet of sarga.

Noun

jerga f (plural jergas)

1. straw pallet, coarse cotton fringe, (in New Mexican Spanish) any floor covering or mat

Further reading

• “jerga”, 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