dago
The origin and history of dago.
Etymology
An alteration of "Diego," a common Spanish given name; sailors in 19th-century America first applied it to Spanish-speaking crewmen before it broadened, and later narrowed in some countries to mean specifically "Italian."
Class of 1800
dago first entered the language around 1800. Other words from the same year:
See the full Class of 1800 →