Moon Guatemala (Moon Handbooks) - Al Argueta (2015)
Resources
Glossary
aduana: customs
agua: literally “water” but also used in reference to soda pop
agua pura: bottled water
aguardiente: cane alcohol or moonshine
aguas termales: hot springs
alcalde: mayor
alfombra: a colorful carpet made of sawdust and flowers central to Holy Week celebrations in Antigua and elsewhere in Guatemala
altense: a resident of Quetzaltenango
al tiempo: referring to drinks at room temperature
altiplano: the highlands
artesanías: handicrafts
avenida: avenue
ayudante: in cheap public buses, the man who helps the driver in collecting fares and helping passengers with baggage
bajo: lowland swampy areas of the Petén lowlands
balneario: a bathing or swimming hole
baño compartido/general: shared bath (in reference to accommodations)
baño privado: private bathroom
barranco: a ravine
baule: a leatherback turtle
billares: pool or billiards
billete: a banknote or bill
bistec: beef steak
bolo: drunk; also borracho
brujo: a male witch or sorcerer
cajero automático: automated teller machine (ATM)
calle: street
camioneta: a second-class bus
campesino: peasant farmer
canícula: a brief one- or two-week dry spell during the rainy summer months of July and August
cantina: a seedy bar
caoba: mahogany
casa de huéspedes: a guesthouse
cayuco: canoe
cerveza: beer
champa: thatched-roof, wall-less structure
chapín/chapina: what Guatemalans call themselves
chichicaste: a stinging plant somewhat like poison ivy
chiclero: a tapper of chewing-gum resin of the jungle Petén region
coche: a pig, not a car, as in other parts of Latin America
cofradía: traditional political-religious organization present in some highland Mayan communities
comedor: a simple eatery
corte: traditional wraparound skirt worn by Mayan women
costumbre: traditional Mayan religious practices that include offerings of flowers, candles, and sometimes animal sacrifices
coyote: a smuggler of undocumented immigrants across Mexico and into the United States
criollo: Guatemalan of Spanish heritage
cucurucho: costumed carriers of procession parade floats during Semana Santa celebrations
curandero: traditional healer or shaman
edificio: a building; used in street addresses in urban areas
encomienda: a colonial system enabling landholders to exact tribute and labor from the local indigenous population
farmacia de turno: a pharmacy that remains open all night on a rotating basis
finca: a farm of any type but usually referring to a coffee farm
hospedaje: inexpensive family-run accommodations
huipil: traditional embroidered dress
ingenio: a sugar mill
invierno: literally “winter” but used to describe the May-October rainy season
IVA: short for impuesto al valor agregado (value added tax) VAT; in Guatemala it’s 12 percent
ladino: a person of indigenous descent who has adopted European ways
lancha: small motorboat
latifundia: large landholding in the form of a plantation or hacienda
lavandería: laundry
machista: a male chauvinist
maquiladora: an industrial plant where clothes are assembled for reexport by cheap local labor; more commonly known in the United States as a “sweatshop”
mara: a gang, but also used to describe a “gang” in the manner referring to an agglomeration of people or a crowd
mestizo: person of mixed Spanish and Indian descent
milpa: a maize or corn plant; also sometimes used in reference to a cornfield
minifundia: small landholdings, usually in the hands of Mayan peasantry
morería: small crafts shop producing costumes and masks for traditional dancing
palapa: a high-ceilinged thatched-roof structure commonly used in restaurant or hotel architecture
parlama: green sea turtle
parque nacional: national park
pensión: inexpensive accommodations
petate: a reed mat
picop: pickup truck
Pullman: a first-class bus, though to varying degrees of newness and quality
rancho: a simple thatched structure; also sometimes referred to in its diminutive ranchito
recargo: a surcharge; usually associated with credit card transactions
refacción: snack time between lunch and dinner; also on menus as refacciones consisting of pastries and sandwiches
repatriado: returned civil war refugee, usually from Mexico
reserva natural privada: a privately owned nature preserve
reserva protectora de manantiales: a watershed protection preserve
retablo: an altarpiece in a colonial church
revueltos: scrambled (eggs)
ron: rum
sacbe: once-paved Mayan causeways present in the modern-day lowlands of Petén and still used as footpaths
stela (stelae): pre-Columbian stone monuments, usually carved
timbre: a type of stamp sold in banks used in paying fees such as visa renewals
traje: traditional Mayan costume worn by inhabitants of individual highland villages
túmulo: a speed bump
verano: literally “summer,” but usually in reference to the height of the dry season between March and the beginning of the rainy season in May
zafra: sugarcane harvest in the Pacific lowlands
zancudo: mosquito
zona: a city zone into which Guatemala’s principal urban areas are divided