by SpiritOfShankly Tue Nov 15, 2011 4:59 am
"Negrito", for example, could have shocking connotations for someone without full knowledge of the nuances of the language. But the counter-argument is that this is one of several derivations that are used in many countries, with no derogatory meaning – often in the same way someone could be called "pal" or "
mate". An illustration of this comes in the form of the message Dani Pacheco, the Liverpool player who is currently on loan at Rayo Vallecano, sent to his Spain Under-21 team-mate Thiago Alcântara via Twitter on Friday. It begins: "Negrito, enjoy yourself …"
This was a conversation between two friends. In Uruguay, it is quite common for commentators to use the same word to describe Premier League players. Visitors to the country can be taken aback by this form of language. But other derivatives are also commonly used, often to describe people of all races in affectionate terms, including family members.