Added 10 October 2026
dago
/ˈdeɪɡəʊ/ noun
First recorded: 1838 Wiktionary
noun Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about dago at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
Origin
Alteration of diego (“Spaniard”), from Spanish Diego (common Spanish name) by law of Hobson-Jobson. The term originated among sailors from the Northern United States, first attested in Boston in 1838. "Diego" is the Portuguese nickname for any deckhand. After transforming into "dago" in English, the word gradually came to denote any Southern European in a derogatory manner. From there, the word spread to England by the 1890s, and to Australia following WW1. In Australia, it has undergone a narrowing in scope, now chiefly meaning "Italian", following a mass migration of Italians to Australia post-WW2.
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)