Origins of the Word Tango

couple in loveThere are several theories of how the Tango received its name. The theories range from a drum beat to various derivatives of words from different cultures. It seems like the drum theory is the most popular, but even with the drum beat theory there are several different versions of how the word Tango arose. Some say that it was years after the colonization of Argentina by Spain when a number of African slaves were being imported and used the word Tango as the name for the drum-based music and dance that they performed. Not too far off from this theory is the theory that some African descendants combined the name of their god of the drum with the Spanish word for drum to create the new word Tango.

Some of the other theories that describe how the word Tango came about are possibly true as well, or they could be grasping at thin air. You can be the judge of which are, perhaps, hasty conclusions and which are more realistic. Another theory is using derivatives of other words:

  • Tambo- the slave traders’ name for a place where the slaves were kept
  • Tangere- the Latin word meaning touch
  • Tanga- festival or end of mourning ceremony
  • Tangala- to walk heavily
  • Taganana- to walk

As you can see there are various speculations upon where the word Tango came from. There are even more possible derivatives than listed above. Some facts even say that the Tango existed in Mexico in the 18th century, or that was developed in Brazil in the early 19th century, or was of Japanese descent, or originated as a gypsy dance. There are plenty of theories out there, but, for now, all we can be certain of is that there are a lot of theories and trust the ones that are believed to be the most accurate.

If this has spiked your interest in the Tango, Dance FX Studios, in Mesa, Arizona, offers Private Argentine Tango Dance Lessons and Group Argentine Tango Dance Classes. Dance FX Studios also offers other social dance classes for adults; to see more information about our Tango classes and other dance lessons, please visit https://dancefxstudios.com/