26 FEBRUARY 1937, Page 21

[To the Editor of THE' SPECTATOR.] SIR, --Mr. La Rue's derivation

of " Gringo " from " green grow " is presumably cruritractive. We do not know what

the word comes from, but we -know what it does not come from. It may be from the Spanish " gringo," gibberish, a corruption of the Spanish " griego," Greek—cf. the origin of " barbarian," which is related to the Sanskrit " barbara," stammering, non-Aryan, and hence, foreigner, and " Feringhee," Persian " farangi," Arabic " twang," from " Frank," and meaning European. (The " is an ethnic suffix )- Charles Streit Manse, Ballymoney, Co. Antrint.