General
gotan
What does gotan mean?
Tango, the music and dance. The source is the word 'tango' run through vesre (syllable reversal): tan-go becomes go-tan.
"Esta noche bailamos gotan. (Tonight we dance tango.)"
Origin
A Lunfardo vesre form documented by the Academia Portena del Lunfardo; reversing 'tango' into 'gotan' is a classic example of porteno back-slang and was popularized in tango circles across the 1900s.
Frequently asked questions
What does gotan mean?
It means tango, the music and dance.
Why is tango called gotan?
Because of vesre, the Lunfardo habit of reversing syllables: 'tango' becomes 'gotan'.
Is gotan a famous word?
Yes, the electronic-tango group Gotan Project took its name from it.
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