abroja

abrojo

Cocklebur, a plant with a spiny very prickly seed, considered a pest. There are 2 kinds found in Santa Fé: “abrojo chico” or “abrojo grande” (Xanthium spp.).

ageno

ajeno

see ajeno

ajeno

ajeno

foreign / alien – a person or item (e.g. cattle) that is not of or does not belong (e.g. alien to the estancia)

alambrados

alambrados

fences / fencing enclosing potreros (fields)

At La California, the fences were typically of 7 wire strands, 6 plain, 1 barbed, spaced closer together near to the ground to prevent calves and sheep from passing through.  Fence posts were set approx. 10 meters apart with 5 varillas (wood spacers) distributed evenly between them.  The posts were of quebracho colorado, the wires passing through holes drilled in the posts and tightened via torniquetas (turnbuckles) at field corners.  (see turniquetes and varillias)

alasan

alazán

horse coloring: chestnut / sorrel (US)

alfalfa

(abbrev.: alfa)

alfalfa

common forage legume – very productive but can cause bloat, particularly new growth.

algaroba

algarrobo

a spiny leguminous tree found on the drier western and northern (Chaco) edges of the pampas.  (Prosopis alba, Prosopis nigra)  Prized for its hard wood.  Member of the same genus as mesquite, ñandubay, espinillo, and caldén.

apartes

apartes

event of sorting out cattle – a regular occurrence when there were no fences and the cattle mixed in with those of the neighbors

areglared

arreglar

to fix

to settle (accounts)

@, aroba

arroba

measure of  weight, 11.58 Kg. (25.5 lb.) – in Santa Fé.  See Measures.

avisar

avisar

to inform – the formal action of informing

azotea

azotea

flat-roof

bagual

bagual

untamed wild horse; mustang in the US.

baile

baile

dance

baldero

baldero

balde is bucket, a baldero is the person drawing water from a well via a jagüel – see jagüel for a description of how it’s done.

bastidor

bastidor

screen or frame used in the sheep dip.

bayo

bayo

horse coloring: dun

bebida

bebedero

berbedo [H]

berbeador [H]

bebida

bebedero

water-trough, for livestock.  From photographs we know the original bebidas at La California were made of wood, they were later replaced with metal, today most are of molded cement. (see tanque for more details)

bocal

brocal

bocal

“mouth” in reference to a well: the brick-lined section near the top.

boleta de compra y venta

boleta de compra y venta

Bill of Sale

boregas

borregas

ewes (female sheep)

brea

brea

tar

bretes

bretes

Cattle shute or raceway.  Heart of a system of corrales for working cattle (or sheep) on an estancia, it consists of a corral narrow at one end (embudo) that funnels cattle into a raceway or narrow shute (manga) with walls of solid wood planks.  About ten head can be packed head to tail in the manga to be branded, vaccinated, etc.  At the far end from the embudo is a vice (yugo) used to grip an animal about its neck so that it can be worked upon while standing.  Typically beyond the yugo is a tiny enclosure (torín) from which several gates lead, used for parting cattle to different corrales or for directing them to a weighing machine (balanza), cattle dip (baño) , or truck loading dock (embarcadero).  Bretes are much more efficient and less harmful to livestock than lassoing them individually.

calk

cal

slaked lime – used in white-washing

callpon

calpon

galpón

see galpon [H]

calsa

calsa

to fit or fits (in place)

calsar

calsar

to line, as in to line a well with bricks.

camp

campo

Derived from the Spanish campo, it takes on all its meanings and is still in wide use today:

    * fields – as in “out in camp” means “out in the fields”.

    * ranch – as in “I have a camp” means “I own a ranch”.

    * farming & ranching as a whole – as in “the camp”meaning the farming /  ranching community or agribusiness.

[It has nothing to do with “camping-out”, campers, and tents.]

caña

caña

cane (as in bamboo) or rhum – depending on context

cañada

cañada

low-land / valley along an arroyo on the flat pampas;

Note: if capitalized, most likely refers to the town of Cañada de Gómez 30 km. south of La California.

capar

capared

capar

castrated, to castrate (see capon and novillo)

capataz

capataz

foreman

capon

capón

wether (castrated male lamb/sheep)

carada

cargada

Load, as in wagon-load.

cardo negro

cardo negro

black thistle

carne con cuero

carne con cuero

asado con cuero

barbecued side of beef, cooked with the hide on the fire-side (when done al asador / standing) or underside (when done a la parrilla / on the  grill).  Takes 12 – 24 hours to prepare, the hide keeps the juices in.

caronillias

caronillas

saddle-blankets, made of wool

carosane

querosén

kerosene (lamp oil – US) [H]

carpering

carpir

to cultivate – as in use a cultivator, a farm implement, to scrape soil into ridges around the roots of row crops such as maiz / corn.

carral

corral

see corral [H]

chanchero

chanchero

pig-man (chancheria is the piggery)

Cia

Cia. (compañía)

abbreviation for company, from compañía

cobrar

cobrar

collect (moneys) or charge

cobraring

cobrando (cobrar)

bill collecting, likely rents from the colonos

cohudieto

cojudito

diminutive of cojudo: colloquial / vulgar term for an intact male (i.e. not castrated).

colonist

colono

tenant farmer

colony

colonie

colonia

In the case of La California, a section of land (e.g. Las Tijeras) populated with colonos / tenant farmers.  Possibly backed by the federal or provincial governments.

Large colonies were often established by groups of immigrants or by speculators.  Frank X. Bz (b.1816) was a founding member of the American Colonia California near San Javier (SFé).  Fank J. Bz (b.1850) invested in Colonia Espín, one of the main causes of  his debts. (See their bios. for more details.)

contribución directa

contribución directa

Provincial land tax (first mentioned 4 June, 1888).

Corintinos

Correntinos

People from the province of Corrientes (NE of LaCal.)

corral

corrales

corral / corrales

pen, enclosure; each estancia has a set of them for working cattle or sheep, known collectively as the corrales or bretes – see bretes.  Sheep and cattle would have separate sets.

corralon

corralón

large pen or yard.  Depending on context, could be a lumber yard or building-supply yard.

costa

costa

coast of the Paraná river about 70+ km. east of La California

cuadrado

cuadra

19^th century measure of land area: 150 x 150 varas.  The length of the vara varied by province; a Santa Fé cuadra was: 1.687 hectareas (4.170 acres).  (See our page on Measures)

cured

curar

to treat animals, usually for fly-blown wounds and such.

demandared

demandar

official questioning or suit; to bring suit

derake

--

derrick [H]

desconosidas

desconocidas

per context: unknown / unbranded livestock

desparared

disparar

stampeded or to stampede; also to fire a gun

dilegence

diligencia

a diligencia is an errand; however, in this context it refers to the light express / hitch wagon (vagoneta) pulled by a team of 2 or 4 horses typically used by estancias to run daily errands in the local town (Armstrong, Cañada, or Las Rosas) for small purchases, mail, fresh bread, etc.  The California diligencia was still making its daily run into Las Rosas during the early 1950’s.  Before the advent of paved roads in the 1960’s, horse drawn vehicles fared much better in mud than did motorized, which after a rain all too often bogged down or slid into ditches.

dispuntaring

despuntando

trimming burrs and barbs (e.g. from fence posts)

domaring

domando

taming or breaking-in horses

embra

hembra

female

encomienda

encomienda

parcel post

espiga

espiga

cob

“in espiga” is a partial translation of  “en espiga”: on the cob.

estancia

estancia

ranch, hacienda, fazenda, station – usually spoken of as a camp.  In the late 19^th century, Argentine estancias were akin to Texas ranches: exptensive cattle and crop enterprises.

fanega

fanega

Volume measure for grain.  In Santa Fé, 1 fanega = 173.7 kg. wheat, = 185.3 kg. maiz, = 139 kg. maiz+cob  (for more details, see our Measures page).

farina

--

wheat meal - actually it is an English term but included here for non-cooks.  Fine ground whole wheat, analogous to corn-meal (polenta), or oat-meal / porridge (US / UK).

feretteria

ferreteria

iron-works, metal tools, most likely black-smithing tools & supplies.  In modern terms, its is a hardware store.

fiared

fiar

to sell on credit; to give credit

finado

finado

the late (dead person)

flacura

flaco

flaco means thin or skinny; flacura would be starvation. Mentioned on 8 Oct. ’88,  the end of winter.  In central Santa Fé winters (June-Sept.) are typically very dry with almost no rain, so that by the end of winter grass for feed is often scarce.

galletas

galleta

a bread which when dry flakes easely.  Estancias provided it to their workmen because it would keep for a long time.  Today, galletitas are dry crackers / biscuits (US / UK terms respectively).

galpon

galpón

barn or large shed

giro

giro

money order or bank-transfer

honduras grass

honduras (?)

a forage grass. Per UN dictionary of agricultural terms, Guatemala or Honduras grass (Tripsacum fasciculatum) is a tall broadleaved perennial with stems up to 3.5 m that grows in humid areas on rich soils. Tolerates acidity. Essentially cultivated for fodder as it is unsuitable for grazing.  [Note: Don’t recall seeing any grass at La California meeting this description other than the native Pampas Grass (Cortaderia selloana).]

imbeechared

imbechada

embichado

fly-blown (wound infested with fly maggots)

huntaring

juntar

gathering or to gather / collect

invernada

invernada

derived from “to winter”, generic term for yearling cattle (steers & heifers) grown & fattened for market, pastured for 12 – 24 months depending on breed.

jaguel

jarguel

jagüel

well, usually for watering cattle – in the days before wind-mills, the water was often drawn using a large metal or leather bucket.  The bucket’s rope was tied to the cinch of a rider’s saddle who would raise and lower the bucket by walking his horse back and forth from the well. (see baldero, tanque, and bebida)

kinta

quinta

see quinta [H]

langosto

langosta

locust, see saltonas

lasso

laso

lariat, rope typically of rawhide (4, 6, or 8 braided strands) used for roping livestock.

lechera

lechera

milk cow (abbreviation for: vaca lechera)

legue

legua

distance: 1 league = 5 kilometres or 3 miles.

area: In the 1880’s would have been 2,800 hectares (6,000 x 6,000 varas).  Today’s metric league is 2,500 hectares (5x5 km).  Estancias were / are typically quoted in leagues.  La California was 4 leagues. (See our page on Measures for more details.)

leña

lena

leña

fire-wood

lena de vaca

leña de vaca

leña de vaca

fuel of dried cattle dung /chips (buffalo chips or bois de vache)

lona

lona

tarpaulin (tarp) or canvas

macho

macho

male

madrina

madrina

in a horse-herd, the mare with a bell hung from a rope about its neck, that the other mares soon learn to follow and stay close by to.  Term derived from madre – mother.

manada

manad

manada

brood mare herd

manga (i)

manga (ii)

manga

(i) swarm (of locusts)

(ii) raceway / shute – see bretes

marcho

macho

male [H]

marchos

--

No idea.  17 Oct’90: cart-horses? [H]

mars

--

mares [H]

martineta

martineta

Most likely the Martineta Común (Eudronia elegans-8r), a crested ground bird of the pampas much prized by hunters, similar to grouse or partridge.  Its correct English name is “Elegant Tinamou”.  Larger than perdiz.  Few if any found today at LaCal.

mayordomo

mayordomo

Next after the owner / manager in the management hierarchy of an estancia, senior to a capataz (foreman) (equiv. to XO on a Navy ship).

mestisa

mestizo / mestiza

cross-bred animal

molde

molde

mold

mortero

mortero

mortar, for pounding / crushing

mosca brava

mosca brava

biting fly or horse-fly  The larger ones are known as tabanos.

mula / mulita

mula / mulita

mule / small mule. 

Mulita (little mule) is also the name given to a species of armadillo (Dasypus septemcinctus), its body is more erect and rounded than the more common peludo.

multa

multa

fine, as in pay a fine

nats

nacionales

nacionales

refers to the peso moneda nacional, the amount typically followed by the letters: m/n, e.g. $10.00 m/n

nandubuy

ñandubai

tree, its hard-dense wood makes excellent fence posts - not as brittle as quebracho.  See algarrobo.

nov

novillo

novillio

novillo

steer (male calf castrated at weaning before it takes on the features of a bull)

novillietos

novillitos

young steers

nyato

ñato

flat-nosed or pug-nosed

orejano

orejano

big eared, e.g. a mule

ornero

hornero

brick-makers, those who tend the ovens (horno is an oven)

Also, the oven-bird native to the pampas.

pagare

pagaré

IOU, note

palo a pie

palo a pie

fence made of a row posts, most often tied together – a palisade.

pampero

pampero

litteraly “of the pampas”, it is the name given to the cold winter wind that blows from the south / south-west

paraiso (trees)

paraiso

Chinaberry tree (melia azedarach L.), a deciduous small leafed tree with blue-purple flowers.  Paraiso and eucalyptus were popular trees to plant because they are fast growing and locusts would not eat them - not surprising given paraiso berries have insecticidal properties.

paseo

paseo

joy ride, sight-seeing trip

patrerito

potrerito

small potrero

pastilles

pastillas

pills

pastage

pastage

rented pasture

pasto

pasto

grass / pasture / rent for pasture (see pastage)

pastorearing

pastorear

pastoreo

pasturing, to pasture – when grass was in short supply during the dry winter months (June-September) rye and wheat fields were sometimes sacrificed for winter feed to pasture cattle.

peludo

peludo

hairy

Peludo is also a common species of armadillo (Chaetophractus villosus) still found at LaCal., hairy and flatter than the mulita.

peons

peón / peones

workmen, ranch-hands.

perdiz

perdíz

Most likely the Inambú Común (Nothura maculosa), the most common ground bird hunted on the pampas.  Its correct name in English is “Spotted Tinamou”, however, it is more commonly referred to as a “partridge”.  Smaller than the Martineta.

pesadero

pisadero

Corral in which straw and mud are mixed to be used in making bricks.  Horses are used to do the mixing by trampling.

peste

peste

generic term for a harmful bug or illness affecting a crop or livestock.  Likely “hoof and mouth” (June, 1888)?

petiso

petiso

short, also colloquial term for ponies, particularly polo-ponies.

pileta

pileta

term implies a water-trough, wash-tub, or small tank.  Tanque would be a larger reservoir.  See bebida.

pine tea

pinotea

pine wood imported from the US in the early years, it is today grown commercially in Arg.  A fast growing tree, its name is derived from the latin Pinus taeda (Loblolly pine), the largest of the native pine trees found in the SE USA.  However, the term pinotea is also mistakenly applied to the Longleaf pine tree (Pinus palustris), also native to SE USA, much prized for its “heart” of very hard wood.  It is a slow growing tree (100+ years) and today its wood is scarce and expensive.

plaso

plazo

grace period, terms, or installment payment.

poen

peón

See peons [H]

potranca

potranca

untamed filly / young mare

potrero

potrero

field or paddock.  The first fenced fields of La California (3 leagues, including Las Tijeras) were each of 100 cuadras (almost 169 hectares).  Most of the fields were known by number (see map).  The smaller fields were named, particularly those close to the casco.  However we don’t know their location, the potreros  were (1890): estancia, horse, pig, Peters, puesto, south, stack.

potrerito

proterito

small potrero

potros

potros

untamed colts - young male horses

prolongation

prolongación

per context, extension (of a rail-road) or spur.

puestero

puestero

trusted employee who lives in a puesto and is likely responsible for the livestock in the field or section in which the puesto is located

puesto

puesto

line or section house, a house located in a field or section of the estancia.

puestos en …

puestos en …

term used in a purchase or sale agreement to denote where the goods are to be shipped or received:  “placed in/on …” a given location: loading-dock, or estancia (ranch).

“pull water”

---

see baldero and jagüel.

pulperia

pulperae [H]

pulperia

pub, bar – sometimes also a store.  At La Cal, likely refers to the pulperia(s) run by Andel and/or Peter (see Names)

pulpero

pulpero

publican

quinta

quinta

garden or vegetable plot

quebracho

quebracho

A very hard wood, so dense it will sink in water; its name translates as break-ax.  There are two varieties, the blanco (white) and colorado (deep red).  The colorado (Schinopsis quebracho-colorado (Schlechtend)) is highly valued for fence posts and rail-road ties. A good quebracho fence post will last 50-70 years, longer than the fence wire – consequently, the wires are strung through holes drilled in the posts (not nailed to the posts as in the US).

quinta

quinta

vegetable garden (note: in today’s  B.A. terms, it is a suburban house with a flower garden and lawn)

radao

rodeo

see rodeo [H]

rama

rama

branch or branches

recero

resero

cattle buyer, usually for slaughter; more recently: professional cattle herder – see tropero.

recojered

recoger

to gather or gathered

recorered

recorering

recorrer

to ride through the fields checking the condition of the livestock, pastures, crops, fences, water level in the tanks, etc.

redomon

redomones

redemones

redomón

horse that is in the process of being tamed; also may refer to raw-hide that has not been fully worked – see sobar

reglar

reglared

reglarered

arreglar

to fix

to settle (accounts)

regulated

arreglar

settled (accounts)

rengo

rengo

lame

represa

represa

in camp terms, a water reservoir or tank – see tanque.

rodeo

rodero

rodeo

May refer to:

   * all cattle on an estancia or field

   * a gathering of cattle, as in a round-up.

on rodeo – cattle gathered for pasturing

saino

zaino

horse coloring: dark chestnut

Zaino colorado is: bay

saltones

saltonas

hoppers – young locusts before they can fly.  See langostas

Santeagenians

Santiagenians

santeagueños

people of the province of Santiago del Estero, north-west of La California

segundo

segundo

Apprentice (intern) manager on an estancia.

señalared

senalared

senelared

señalar

to ear-mark (the pattern of notches in the years typically indicates ownership &/or the year of birth)

sinuelo

señuelo

decoy, but in terms of cattle is a tame older animal included in a herd of young stock to help calmers

sobar

sobar

To soften up, sobado is softened.  Typically refers to the process of working raw-hide to soften it up.

sorda

sorda

Not sure per context: rope of hide ? measure or count of hides (?)

sorro

?

No idea. 17 Oct’90: possibly a cart?  [H]

squares

cuadras

see cuadrado

tambo

tambo

dairy

tambera/o

tambera

adjective of dairy: vaca tambera - dairy cow, tambero – dairyman.

tanque

tanque

water reservoir or tank, typically round.  Sometimes referred to as a represa. Originally made of a circular berm of earth, later by corrugated iron sheets (a.k.a. an Australian tank), today most often of molded cement slabs. Each field was equipped with at least one, filled via a jagüel or molino (wind-mill), it provided water to the bebidas / bebederos (water-troughs) for the livestock. (see jagüel, pileta, bebida).

tapa

tapa

cover – (June 1888: cement lid for a well)

tapado

tapado

in terms of horse coloring, tapado means entirely “covered”, all one color, i.e. no markings: no white socks, no star nor blaze.

tapera

tapera

Guaraní (amerindian tribe of Paraguay & NE Arg.) term: abandoned house or shelter

terantes

tirantes

see tirante.

testementura

testamentura

testify, testimony

tigres / tigre’s

tigres / tigre

Tigers are a misnomer for pumas.  However, in the 8 Apr’90 context refers to a stallion: Tiger’s manada (brood mares).

tirante

tirante

Rafter or beam (of wood), often quite long – see pine tea  Typically measured in inches (width and thickness) and varas, metres or yards for length.

topo

tropa

see tropa [H]

tordillio

tordillo

horse coloring: speckled grey or chestnut on white.

toruno

toruno

late or incompletely castrated male livestock – usually horses (missed one!)

toslada tapada

tostada tapada

horse coloring:  see tostado and tapado

tostado

tostado

horse coloring: “toasted” – darker chestnut (alazán) or bay (zaino colorado), often with darker legs, tail, and mane

tranca

tranceros

tranca

Sliding gates used to close parts of a cattle shute or raceway.  See bretes.

trash

trasher

--

misspelled thrash or thrasher [H]

tratared

tratar

negotitated, tried (to do something, e.g. sell to a reluctnat buyer)

triste

triste

unhappy, used when referring to an animal: it is downcast, i.e. appears unhealthy.  Tristeza is illness.

troop

tropa / tropear

herd of livestock, or to herd livestock

tropa

tropo [H]

tropa

herd of livestock, typically cattle

tropero

tropero

someone who herds cattle from one place to another.  (Tropero is not the translation of herdsman.)

tropillia

trepillia

trapillo

tropilla

small herd, typically of horses

turniquetes

torniquetes

torniquetas

turn-buckles used in fences, typically attached to fence posts and used for tightening the wire strands; a torniqueta voladora is a “flying” turn-buckle strung on the wire in the open space between posts. (for more details on fencing, see alambrados).

tuviana

tobiana

horse coloring: piebald (pinto, paint)

if alone and ends in ‘a’, refers to a piebald mare

Vacillas

vacillars

vaquillas

heifers (young cows)

vale

valor

vale

note or IOU

vaquiano

baquiano

guide or expert person

varillias

varillas

In US: spacers -  wood staves hung vertically on the fence wires to keep them properly spaced.  (for more details on fencing at La California, see alambrados)

vasura

basura

garbage, trash.

vermicelli

vermicelli

pasta

viga

viga

beam or heavy post

yerba

yerba

Yerba litterally means “herb”.  However, unless qualified otherwise referes to yerba mate – the bitter tea drunk in Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay, and southern Brazil.

yeguarisas

yeguarizos

generic term for horse livestock